αT-catenin: A developmentally dispensable, disease-linked member of the α-catenin family

ABSTRACT

α-Catenins are actin-filament binding proteins and critical subunits of the cadherin-catenin cell-cell adhesive complex. They are found in nominally-defined epithelial (E), neural (N), and testis (T) forms transcribed from three distinct genes. While most of α-catenin research has focused on the developmentally essential founding member, αE-catenin, this review discusses recent studies on αT-catenin (CTNNA3), a developmentally dispensable isoform that is emerging as relevant to cardiac, allergic and neurological diseases.

KEYWORDS:

• cadherins
• cell-cell adhesion
• catenins, actin
• signaling
• asthma
• neurological
• cardiomyopathy
• adherens junctions
• Biology of epithelial barriers
• Desmosomes

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Acknowledgments

S.E.C. and E.E.R. were supported by the Northwestern University Allergy Immunology Research Program (NUAIR) T32AI083216 and C.J.G. by NIHL134800.

Additional information

Funding

HHS | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) T32AI083216. HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI) NIHL134800.