Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
08:15
Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
Published on: October 17, 2014
The three-dimensional structure of the cadherin-catenin complex
Noboru Ishiyama1, Mitsuhiko Ikura
1Ontario Cancer Institute, 610 University Avenue, M5G 2M9, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Sub-Cellular Biochemistry
|June 8, 2012
Summary
The cadherin-catenin complex forms adherens junctions, crucial for cell adhesion and communication. Structural studies reveal how protein interactions modulate cadherin function and link cell junctions to the actin cytoskeleton.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The cadherin-catenin complex is essential for adherens junctions, mediating cell-cell adhesion.
- It links intercellular junctions to intracellular actin dynamics and signaling pathways.
- Understanding its structure is key to cell communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the structural basis of cadherin-catenin complex function.
- To investigate how protein-protein interactions modulate cell adhesion molecules.
- To understand the complex's role in linking cell adhesion to the cytoskeleton.
Main Methods:
- Determination of three-dimensional structures at atomic resolution.
- X-ray crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses.
- Structural studies of cadherins, p120 catenin, β-catenin, and α-catenin.
Main Results:
- Revealed cadherin trans-dimerization and clustering mechanisms.
- Showed p120 catenin stabilizes cadherin adhesion and influences endocytosis.
- Detailed the structure of the cadherin/β-catenin/α-catenin ternary complex.
- Identified α-catenin's role as a mechanosensor through conformational changes.
Conclusions:
- Structural insights explain cadherin-catenin complex assembly and function.
- Protein interactions critically regulate cell adhesion and stability.
- α-catenin's mechanosensing role is structurally defined.
- Further research on the complex-cytoskeleton link is vital for understanding cell communication.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Structure of Cadherins
The cadherins were one of the first cell adhesion molecules discovered; the term “cadherins” is based on their calcium-dependent adhering properties. The first cadherins discovered on the epithelial, neuronal, and placental cells were named E-cadherin, P-cadherin, and N-cadherin, respectively. These classical cadherins share sequence and structural similarities. Other cadherins, including those involved in cell signaling, are grouped into non-classical cadherins. This diversity of cadherins...
01:23Catenins
Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
01:19Cadherins in Tissue Organization
The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
01:26Tension Response at Adherens Junctions
The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
01:24Adherens Junctions
Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types – adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
01:05Desmosomes
The term desmosome derives from the Greek words "desmo" and "soma" meaning "adhesion bodies." This structure was first observed during the late 1800s and described as small, dense nodules in the epidermis. Desmosomes are button-like structures that help form an interlinked network of intermediate filaments across the cells. These junctions are essential to hold cells together under mechanical stress and to maintain tissue integrity. Desmosomes are multi-protein complexes comprising desmosomal...