Catenin

Catenins are proteins that connect cadherin/?-catenin cell adhesion complexes to the actin cytoskeleton. Although originally discovered in testis, ?T-catenin is expressed in other tissues, the highest levels being observed in heart. Immunohistochemical analysis showed human ?Tcatenin localization at intercalated discs of cardiomyocytes and in peritubular myoid cells of testis. It is proven that ?T-catenin can functionally restore cell-cell adhesion in colon cancer cells lacking ?-catenins. This indicates that this protein is involved in the formation of specific cell-cell contacts in specific types of muscle cells.The encoded protein has about the same predicted size (100 kDa) as other ?-catenins to which it shows an overall amino acid identity of 57%. In cells transfected with ?T-catenin cDNA, interaction with ?-catenin was demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation.This antibody is specific for ?T-catenin and does not cross react with ?E-catenin or ?N-catenin by Western blot.