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Cell division orientation is coupled to cell-cell adhesion by the E-cadherin/LGN complex
Martijn Gloerich1, Julie M Bianchini1, Kathleen A Siemers1
1Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Nature Communications
|January 4, 2017
Summary
E-cadherin, a cell adhesion protein, guides cell division orientation by interacting with the LGN/NuMA complex. This mechanism links cell division to cell adhesion, crucial for tissue architecture.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cell-cell adhesion and oriented cell division are critical for tissue architecture.
- The coordination between these processes remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how cell-cell adhesion influences cell division orientation.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanism linking E-cadherin to spindle orientation.
Main Methods:
- Investigated E-cadherin's role in cell division using cell culture models.
- Utilized biochemical assays to study protein interactions.
- Examined the localization and function of the LGN/NuMA complex at cell-cell contacts.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that E-cadherin acts as an instructive cue for cell division orientation.
- Showed direct binding of LGN to the E-cadherin cytosolic tail at cell-cell adhesions.
- Revealed that the LGN/NuMA complex localizes at cell-cell contacts to stabilize astral microtubules and orient the mitotic spindle.
Conclusions:
- E-cadherin instructs the assembly of the LGN/NuMA complex at cell-cell contacts.
- A novel mechanism coupling cell division orientation to intercellular adhesion is defined.
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