Fig. 5. E-cadherin inhibits nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p120. (A) E-cadherin-expressing cells (A431 or HT29) were incubated with LMB and the localization of endogenous p120 was detected by immunofluorescence. Incubation with LMB does not result in significant nuclear accumulation of p120 when E-cadherin is present (i-iv). For B, C and D, SKBr3 cells were retrovirally transduced with either vector alone (neo), full-length E-cadherin (E-cadherin) or p120-uncoupled E-cadherin (E-cadherin764), and the shuttling activity of endogenous p120 was examined by immunofluorescence in the absence (CTR) and presence (LMB) of LMB. (B) In the absence of E-cadherin p120 shuttles between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. (C) Re-expression of E-cadherin strongly inhibits the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of p120. (D) Restoration of adherens junctions with the p120-uncoupled E-cadherin rescues epithelial morphology but does not inhibit p120 shuttling to the nucleus.

Return to article