Gumbiner B M, McCrea P D
Cellular Biochemistry and Biophysics Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
J Cell Sci Suppl. 1993;17:155-8. doi: 10.1242/jcs.1993.supplement_17.22.
The catenins are polypeptides that bind to the conserved cytoplasmic tail of cadherins and are required for cadherin function. alpha-Catenin is related to vinculin and seems to be required for the interaction of cadherins with the actin cytoskeleton. beta-Catenin is homologous to armadillo, a segment polarity gene in Drosophila that participates in developmental signaling. Recent findings indicate that beta-catenin also participates in developmental signaling and embryonic patterning in Xenopus laevis. At least a portion of the electrophoretic band migrating at the position of gamma-catenin consists of plakoglobin, a desmosomal and zonula adherens protein that has high sequence similarity to beta-catenin and armadillo. The catenins may be involved in the regulation of cadherin function during tissue morphogenesis and tumorigenesis.
连环蛋白是与钙黏着蛋白保守的细胞质尾部结合的多肽，是钙黏着蛋白发挥功能所必需的。α-连环蛋白与纽蛋白相关，似乎是钙黏着蛋白与肌动蛋白细胞骨架相互作用所必需的。β-连环蛋白与犰狳蛋白同源，犰狳蛋白是果蝇中的一个节段极性基因，参与发育信号传导。最近的研究结果表明，β-连环蛋白也参与非洲爪蟾的发育信号传导和胚胎模式形成。至少在γ-连环蛋白位置迁移的一部分电泳条带由桥粒斑蛋白组成，桥粒斑蛋白是一种桥粒和黏着小带蛋白，与β-连环蛋白和犰狳蛋白具有高度的序列相似性。连环蛋白可能参与组织形态发生和肿瘤发生过程中钙黏着蛋白功能的调节。
