P120 catenin potentiates constitutive E-cadherin dimerization at the plasma membrane and regulates trans binding

• Published in: Current biology 2021-07, Vol.31 (14), p.3017-3027.e7
• Main Authors: Vu, Vinh, Light, Taylor, Sullivan, Brendan, Greiner, Diana, Hristova, Kalina, Leckband, Deborah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: cadherin; Cadherins - genetics; Cadherins - metabolism; Catenins - genetics; Catenins - metabolism; Cell Adhesion - physiology; Cell Membrane - metabolism; cis dimers; Dimerization; FIF; fluorescence intensity fluctuations; fluorescence resonance energy transfer; FRET; inside-out signaling; oligomerization; p120 catenin; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Protein Binding
• ISSN: 0960-9822; 1879-0445
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.061

Cadherins are essential adhesion proteins that regulate tissue cohesion and paracellular permeability by assembling dense adhesion plaques at cell-to-cell contacts. Adherens junctions are central to a wide range of tissue functions; identifying protein interactions that potentiate their assembly and regulation has been the focus of research for over 2 decades. Here, we present evidence for a new, unexpected mechanism of cadherin oligomerization on cells. Fully quantified spectral imaging fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FSI-FRET) and fluorescence intensity fluctuation (FIF) measurements directly demonstrate that E-cadherin forms constitutive lateral (cis) dimers at the plasma membrane. Results further show that binding of the cytosolic protein p120ctn binding to the intracellular region is required for constitutive E-cadherin dimerization. This finding differs from a model that attributes lateral (cis) cadherin oligomerization solely to extracellular domain interactions. The present, novel findings are further supported by studies of E-cadherin mutants that uncouple p120ctn binding or with cells in which p120ctn was knocked out using CRISPR-Cas9. Quantitative affinity measurements further demonstrate that uncoupling p120ctn binding reduces the cadherin trans binding affinity and cell adhesion. These findings transform the current model of cadherin assembly at cell surfaces and identify the core building blocks of cadherin-mediated intercellular adhesions. They also identify a new role for p120ctn and reconcile findings that implicate both the extracellular and intracellular cadherin domains in cadherin clustering and intercellular cohesion. •Fluorescence imaging reveals E-cadherin forms constitutive dimers on cell membranes•Constitutive E-cadherin dimerization requires p120ctn binding•Uncoupling p120ctn binding disrupts lateral E-cadherin dimers and reduces adhesion•Actin binding increases cell adhesion, but not the cadherin trans binding affinity How cadherins assemble intercellular adhesions is of fundamental physiological importance. Here, Vu et al. show that E-cadherin exists as constitutive lateral dimers that require p120ctn binding to the intracellular region. Uncoupling p120ctn disrupts the lateral dimers and trans cadherin bonds that both facilitate cadherin junction assembly.