Cloning of the human alpha-catenin cDNA and its aberrant mRNA in a human cancer cell line.

Cadherin and catenin compose cell adhesion complex and are indispensable for tight cell-cell adhesion. Dysfunction of this adhesion complex causes dissociation of cancer cells from primary tumor nodules, thus possibly contributing to cancer invasion and metastasis. In this report, we present the human alpha-catenin sequence. Human alpha-catenin showed extensive homology with that of mouse, i.e., 91.8% and 99.3% at the nucleic acid and amino acid levels, respectively, indicating that this molecule has been evolutionarily conserved in mammals. Characterization of the mRNA sequence of alpha-catenin in PC9 was also carried out, and two distinct abnormal sequences, i.e., one of 957 bp deletion resulting in a 319-amino-acid deletion and another of 761 bp deletion resulting in a frameshift, were identified. These deletions were probably produced by an error of RNA splicing, presenting one possible mechanism for the loss of intact alpha-catenin expression.