Ksp-cadherin is a functional cell-cell adhesion molecule related to LI-cadherin.

Ksp- and LI-cadherin are structurally homologous proteins coexpressed with E-cadherin in renal and intestinal epithelia, respectively. Whereas LI-cadherin has been shown to mediate Ca2+-dependent homotypic cell-cell adhesion independent of stable interactions with the cytoskeleton, little is known about the physiological role of Ksp-cadherin. To analyze its potential adhesive and morphoregulatory ...
functions, we expressed murine Ksp-cadherin in CHO cells. In this report, we show that Ksp-cadherin induces homotypic and Ca2+-dependent cell-cell adhesion that can be specifically blocked with antibodies raised against the cadherin repeats EC1 and EC2. Ksp-cadherin mediates about the same quantitative adhesive effect (aggregation index) as LI- and E-cadherin. However, the cellular phenotype induced by Ksp-cadherin resembles more closely that of LI- than E-cadherin. This could reflect our observation, that Ksp-cadherin, as well as LI-cadherin, does not directly interact with beta-catenin. In conclusion, both cadherins are thus not only structurally but also functionally related and may share other functions within their respective epithelia.
Mesh Terms:
Animals, Antibodies, CHO Cells, Cadherins, Calcium Signaling, Carrier Proteins, Cell Adhesion, Cell Aggregation, Cell Communication, Cell Size, Cricetinae, Cytoskeletal Proteins, Epithelial Cells, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Membrane Transport Proteins, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Trans-Activators, beta Catenin
Exp. Cell Res.
Date: Apr. 01, 2004
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