Work

Tracking the Transport of E-Cadherin to and From the Plasma Membrane

Year: 2008

Type: book-chapter

Abstract: The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the breakdown of epithelial cell morphology that gives way to a more mobile, mesenchymal phenotype. Although this process is fundamental to the development of multicellular organisms, it is also a key occurrence in many diseases, including cancers of epithelial origin E-cadherin is a central component of adherens junctions (AJs), which act as structural and signaling hubs in epithelial cells that oppose EMT. The loss of E-cadherin from the plasma membrane is an early indication of EMT and a marker of poor prognosis in many cancers making the trafficking of E-cadherin an area of great interest. Recent work from the authors' laboratory has established the role of type I gamma phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase (PIPKI gamma) in the trafficking of E-cadherin by studying the surface accessibility of E-cadherin in endocytosis and recycling assays. Additionally, immunofluorescence data demonstrated that cells lacking PIPKI gamma lost E-cadherin at the plasma membrane. The biochemical and microscopic techniques used to investigate the trafficking of E-cadherin are presented herein.

Source: Methods in molecular biology

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-261-8_20

Authors: Matthew P. Wagoner, Kun Ling, Richard A. Anderson

Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison

Language: English

Topic: Cellular transport and secretion

Subfield: Cell Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Cancer Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences