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Tumor-suppressor gene products in cell contacts: the cadherin-APC-armadillo connection

J Hülsken1, J Behrens, W Birchmeier

  • 1Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany.

Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|October 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Tumor suppressor genes, like adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), are linked to cell junction structures. APC interacts with beta 2-catenin, which is associated with E-cadherin, a cell adhesion molecule.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Intercellular junction components are increasingly identified as products of tumor-suppressor genes.
  • The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein is a known tumor suppressor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor and cellular adhesion molecules.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical assays to determine protein interactions.
  • Analysis of the association between APC, beta 2-catenin, and E-cadherin.

Main Results:

  • The tumor-suppressor gene product adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) directly binds to beta 2-catenin.
  • Beta 2-catenin is homologous to the Drosophila armadillo gene product.
  • Beta 2-catenin is found to be cytoplasmically associated with the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin.

Conclusions:

  • The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein plays a role in the cellular machinery involving cell adhesion.
  • These findings suggest a link between tumor suppression and the regulation of cell-cell interactions via E-cadherin and its associated proteins.

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