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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Aip1p Dynamics Are Altered by the R256H Mutation in Actin
Published on: July 30, 2014
AlphaE-catenin regulates actin dynamics independently of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion
Jacqueline M Benjamin1, Adam V Kwiatkowski, Changsong Yang
1Cancer Biology Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Abstract:
alphaE-catenin binds the cell-cell adhesion complex of E-cadherin and beta-catenin (beta-cat) and regulates filamentous actin (F-actin) dynamics. In vitro, binding of alphaE-catenin to the E-cadherin-beta-cat complex lowers alphaE-catenin affinity for F-actin, and alphaE-catenin alone can bind F-actin and inhibit Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin polymerization. In cells, to test whether alphaE-catenin regulates actin dynamics independently of the cadherin complex, the cytosolic alphaE-catenin pool was sequestered to mitochondria without affecting overall levels of alphaE-catenin or the cadherin-catenin complex. Sequestering cytosolic alphaE-catenin to mitochondria alters lamellipodia architecture and increases membrane dynamics and cell migration without affecting cell-cell adhesion. In contrast, sequestration of cytosolic alphaE-catenin to the plasma membrane reduces membrane dynamics. These results demonstrate that the cytosolic pool of alphaE-catenin regulates actin dynamics independently of cell-cell adhesion.
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