Structural and thermodynamic characterization of cadherin·?-catenin·?-catenin complex formation.
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ABSTRACT: The classical cadherin·?-catenin·?-catenin complex mediates homophilic cell-cell adhesion and mechanically couples the actin cytoskeletons of adjacent cells. Although ?-catenin binds to ?-catenin and to F-actin, ?-catenin significantly weakens the affinity of ?-catenin for F-actin. Moreover, ?-catenin self-associates into homodimers that block ?-catenin binding. We investigated quantitatively and structurally ?E- and ?N-catenin dimer formation, their interaction with ?-catenin and the cadherin·?-catenin complex, and the effect of the ?-catenin actin-binding domain on ?-catenin association. The two ?-catenin variants differ in their self-association properties: at physiological temperatures, ?E-catenin homodimerizes 10× more weakly than does ?N-catenin but is kinetically trapped in its oligomeric state. Both ?E- and ?N-catenin bind to ?-catenin with a Kd of 20 nM, and this affinity is increased by an order of magnitude when cadherin is bound to ?-catenin. We describe the crystal structure of a complex representing the full ?-catenin·?N-catenin interface. A three-dimensional model of the cadherin·?-catenin·?-catenin complex based on these new structural data suggests mechanisms for the enhanced stability of the ternary complex. The C-terminal actin-binding domain of ?-catenin has no influence on the interactions with ?-catenin, arguing against models in which ?-catenin weakens actin binding by stabilizing inhibitory intramolecular interactions between the actin-binding domain and the rest of ?-catenin.
SUBMITTER: Pokutta S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4036364 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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