Cell Signaling Technology

Product Pathways - Adhesion

α-E-Catenin (23B2) Rabbit mAb #3240

Applications Reactivity Sensitivity MW (kDa) Isotype
W IP H M Mk Endogenous 100 Rabbit IgG

Applications Key:  W=Western Blotting  IP=Immunoprecipitation
Reactivity Key:  H=Human  M=Mouse  Mk=Monkey
Species cross-reactivity is determined by western blot. Species enclosed in parentheses are predicted to react based on 100% sequence homology.

Protocols

Specificity / Sensitivity

α-E-Catenin (23B2) Rabbit mAb detects endogenous levels of total α-E catenin protein. The antibody may cross-react with neuronal α-N-catenin.

Source / Purification

Monoclonal antibody is produced by immunizing animals with a synthetic peptide corresponding to the amino-terminal sequence of human α-E-catenin.

Western Blotting

Western Blotting

Western blot analysis of extracts from HUVEC, NIH/3T3, MCF-7, ZR-75 and A431 cells using α-E-Catenin (23B2) Rabbit mAb.

Background

Adherens junctions are dynamic structures that form cell-cell contacts and are important in development, differentiation, tissue integrity, morphology and cell polarity. They are composed of the transmembrane proteins, cadherins, which bind cadherins on adjacent cells in a calcium-dependent manner. On the cytoplasmic side of adherens junctions, the classic model states that cadherins are linked to the cytoskeleton through β- and α-catenin. α-E-catenin is ubiquitously expressed, α-N-catenin is expressed in neuronal tissue, and α-T-catenin is primarily expressed in heart tissue. Loss of E-cadherin and α-E-catenin occurs during the progression of several human cancers, indicating that the breakdown of adherens junctions is important in cancer progression (reviewed in 1).Recent evidence suggests that, rather than acting as a static link between cadherins and actin, α-catenin regulates actin dynamics directly, possibly by competing with the actin nucleating arp2/3 complex (2,3). α-catenin also plays a role in regulating β-catenin-dependent transcriptional activity, affecting differentiation and response to Wnt signaling. α-catenin binds to β-catenin in the nucleus, preventing it from regulating transcription, and levels of both proteins appear to be regulated via proteasome-dependent degradation (4).

  1. Kobielak, A. and Fuchs, E. (2004) Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 5, 614-625.
  2. Yamada, S. et al. (2005) Cell 123, 889-901.
  3. Drees, F. et al. (2005) Cell 123, 903-915.
  4. Hwang, S.G. et al. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. 280, 12758-12765.

Application References

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Companion Products

Rabbit Monoclonals Produced Using Epitomics® Technology, U.S. Patent No. 5,675,063.

This product is intended for research purposes only. The product is not intended to be used for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes in humans or animals.

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