Wnt-1 Modulates Cell-Cell Adhesion in Mammalian Cells by Stabilizing β-Catenin Binding to the Cell Adhesion Protein Cadherin

• Published in: The Journal of cell biology 1994-03, Vol.124 (5), p.729-741
• Main Authors: Hinck, Lindsay, Nelson, W. James, Papkoff, Jackie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antibodies; beta Catenin; Biological and medical sciences; Cadherins; Cadherins - metabolism; Calcium; Cell Adhesion; Cell aggregates; Cell growth; Cell interactions, adhesion; Cell Line; Cell lines; Cells; Cytoskeletal Proteins - biosynthesis; Cytoskeletal Proteins - isolation & purification; Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism; Desmoplakins; Dogs; Drosophila; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - metabolism; Epithelial cells; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamma Catenin; Hepatocytes; Kidney; Mammalia; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligopeptides - chemical synthesis; Oligopeptides - immunology; Protein Binding; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - biosynthesis; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - metabolism; Trans-Activators; Wnt Proteins; Wnt1 Protein; Zebrafish Proteins
• ISSN: 0021-9525; 1540-8140
• DOI: 10.1083/jcb.124.5.729

Wnt-1 homologs have been identified in invertebrates and vertebrates and play important roles in cellular differentiation and organization. In Drosophlia, the products of the segment polarity genes wingless (the Wnt-1 homolog) and armadillo participate in a signal transduction pathway important for cellular boundary formation in embryonic development, but functional interactions between the proteins are unknown. We have examined Wnt-1 function in mammalian cells in which armadillo (β-catenin and plakoglobin) is known to bind to and regulate cadherin cell adhesion proteins. We show that Wnt-1 expression results in the accumulation of β-catenin and plakoglobin. In addition, binding of β-catenin to the cell adhesion protein, cadherin, is stabilized, resulting in a concomitant increase in the strength of calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion. Thus, a consequence of the functional interaction between Wnt-1 and armadillo family members is the strengthening of cell-cell adhesion, which may lead to the specification of cellular boundaries.