Digital Commons Network^™

E-Cadherin Mediates Adherens Junction Organization Through Protein Kinase C, Jani E. Lewis, Pamela J. Jensen, Keith R. Johnson, Margaret J. Wheelock

Biology

Cultured human keratinocytes maintained in 30 μM Ca2+ do not form adherens junctions; however, when the extracellular Ca2+ concentration is raised to 1 mM, adherens junctions form very rapidly. The formation of a junction involves the coordinate organization of intracellular and extracellular components. Cadherins have been shown to mediate this coordinate organization. In this report we show that E-cadherin organizes the various junctional components by signalling through protein kinase C.