Keeping a stiff upper lip: p120ctn and tissue fusion

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Tissue integrity is essential for embryonic development.
• Classical cadherins mediate cell-cell adhesion and are vital for tissue formation.
• The protein p120catenin (p120ctn) is known to interact with classical cadherins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of p120ctn in classical cadherin function during mammalian development.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying tissue integrity in upper lip formation.

Main Methods:

• Genome editing techniques were employed to study gene function.
• Classical tissue-specific gene knockouts were performed.
• Live cell imaging was utilized to observe cellular processes in real-time.

Main Results:

• The interaction between p120ctn and the juxtamembrane domain of classical cadherins was shown to be necessary for tissue integrity.
• This interaction is critical during the cellular zippering process involved in upper lip formation.
• Disruption of this interaction leads to defects in tissue integrity.

Conclusions:

• p120ctn plays a critical role in regulating classical cadherin function for tissue integrity.
• The specific interaction of p120ctn with the juxtamembrane domain of classical cadherins is essential for upper lip development in mammals.