General Description
The catenins (α, β, γ) are cytoplasmic proteins found in varying abundance in many developing and adult tissues.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Catenins bind directly or indirectly to the conserved cytoplasmic tail domain of the cell adhesion adherins. The association of catenins to cadherins produces a complex, which is linked to the actin filament network. Catenins/cadherin complexes play an important role in mediating cell adhesion, transduction of cell-cell contact positional signals to the cell interior, and may play a crucial role in cell differentiation. The linkage of the epithelial cadherin /uvomorulin to actin is essential for the cell binding function of this cadherin. α-Catenin (CAP102, 102 kDa), originally described as an E-cadherin associated protein, has been shown to associate with other members of the cadherin family members, N-cadherin and P-cadherin. Within its conserved region α-catenin shows 30% identity to vinculin.
