Alpha catenin

protein
Name= catenin (cadherin-associated protein), alpha 1, 102kDa
caption=


width=
HGNCid=2509
Symbol=CTNNA1
AltSymbols=
EntrezGene=1495
OMIM=116805
RefSeq=NM_001903
UniProt=P35221
PDB=
ECnumber=
Chromosome=5
Arm=q
Band=31.2
LocusSupplementaryData=protein
Name=catenin (cadherin-associated protein), alpha 2
caption=


width=
HGNCid=2510
Symbol=CTNNA2
AltSymbols=
EntrezGene=1496
OMIM=114025
RefSeq=NM_004389
UniProt=P26232
PDB=
ECnumber=
Chromosome=2
Arm=p
Band=12
LocusSupplementaryData=-p11.1protein
Name=catenin (cadherin-associated protein), alpha 3
caption=


width=
HGNCid=2511
Symbol=CTNNA3
AltSymbols=
EntrezGene=29119
OMIM=607667
RefSeq=NM_013266
UniProt=Q9UI47
PDB=
ECnumber=
Chromosome=10
Arm=q
Band=21
LocusSupplementaryData=

Alpha-catenin was suggested to function as a linking protein between cadherins and actin-containing filaments of the cytoskeleton. [ [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Search&db=books&doptcmdl=GenBookHL&term=catenin+AND+cooper%5Bbook%5D+AND+165769%5Buid%5D&rid=cooper.figgrp.1784 Model of attachment of actin filaments to catenin-cadherin complexes.] Figure 11.14 in "The Cell: A Molecular Approach" second edition by Geoffrey M. Cooper (2000) Published by Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN 0878932194 .] It has been reported that the actin binding proteins vinculin [M. Watabe-Uchida, N. Uchida, Y. Imamura, A. Nagafuchi, K. Fujimoto, T. Uemura, S. Vermeulen, F. van Roy, E. D. Adamson and M. Takeichi. "alpha-Catenin-vinculin interaction functions to organize the apical junctional complex in epithelial cells" in "Journal of Cell Biology" (1998) Volume 142, pages 847-857. Entrez Pubmed|9700171] and alpha-actinin [K. A. Knudsen, A. P. Soler, K. R. Johnson and M. J. Wheelock "Interaction of alpha-actinin with the cadherin/catenin cell-cell adhesion complex via alpha-catenin" in "Journal of Cell Biology" (1995) Volume 130, pages 67-77. Entrez Pubmed|7790378] can bind to alpha-catenin. However, a protein complex including a cadherin, actin, beta-catenin and alpha-catenin has not been isolated. It has been suggested that alpha-catenin does not bind with high affinity to both actin filaments and the E-cadherin-beta-catenin complex at the same time. [S. Yamada, S. Pokutta, F. Drees, W. I. Weis and W. J. Nelson "Deconstructing the cadherin-catenin-actin complex" in "Cell" (2005) Volume 123, pages 889-901. Entrez Pubmed|16325582] It has been observed that when alpha-catenin is not in a molecular complex with beta-catenin, it dimerizes and functions to regulate actin filament assembly, possibly by competing with Arp2/3 protein. [F. Drees, S. Pokutta, S. Yamada, W. J. Nelson and W. T. Weis. "Alpha-catenin is a molecular switch that binds E-cadherin-beta-catenin and regulates actin-filament assembly" in "Cell" (2005) Volume 123, pages 903-915. Entrez Pubmed|16325583]

The amino acid sequence of alpha-catenin has sequence similarity to that of vinculin. [A. Nagafuchi, M. Takeichi, and S. Tsukita. "The 102 kd cadherin-associated protein: similarity to vinculin and posttranscriptional regulation of expression" in "Cell" (1991) Volume 65, pages 849-857. Entrez Pubmed|1904011]

Types

There are three human alpha-catenin genes:
* alpha-1-catenin (also called alpha-E-catenin)
* alpha-2-catenin (also called alpha-N-catenin)
* alpha-3-catenin

ee also

*Catenin

External links

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References