Hiroki Oda
JT Biohistory Research Hall, 1-1 Murasaki-cho, 569-1125, Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan,
Subcell Biochem. 2012;60:9-35. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-4186-7_2.
Adherens junctions are the most common junction type found in animal epithelia. Their core components are classical cadherins and catenins, which form membrane-spanning complexes that mediate intercellular binding on the extracellular side and associate with the actin cytoskeleton on the intracellular side. Junctional cadherin-catenin complexes are key elements involved in driving animal morphogenesis. Despite their ubiquity and importance, comparative studies of classical cadherins, catenins and their related molecules suggest that the cadherin/catenin-based adherens junctions have undergone structural and compositional transitions during the diversification of animal lineages. This chapter describes the molecular diversities related to the cadherin-catenin complex, based on accumulated molecular and genomic information. Understanding when and how the junctional cadherin-catenin complex originated, and its subsequent diversification in animals, promotes a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of animal morphological diversification.
黏着连接是动物上皮组织中最常见的连接类型。其核心成分是经典钙黏蛋白和连环蛋白，它们形成跨膜复合物，在细胞外侧介导细胞间结合，在细胞内侧与肌动蛋白细胞骨架相连。连接性钙黏蛋白-连环蛋白复合物是驱动动物形态发生的关键要素。尽管它们普遍存在且至关重要，但对经典钙黏蛋白、连环蛋白及其相关分子的比较研究表明，基于钙黏蛋白/连环蛋白的黏着连接在动物谱系多样化过程中经历了结构和组成的转变。本章基于积累的分子和基因组信息，描述了与钙黏蛋白-连环蛋白复合物相关的分子多样性。了解连接性钙黏蛋白-连环蛋白复合物何时以及如何起源，以及它在动物中的后续多样化，有助于全面理解动物形态多样化的机制。
