Gamma-catenin monoclonal antibody

Also known as plakoglobin, -catenin is a member of the Armadillo family of signaling molecules, which includes -catenin and theDrosophilaprotein armadillo . This family of proteins is involved in Wnt signaling, which is important in embryonic development and in tumorigenesis . Although the two vertebrate proteins - and -catenin display sequence homology, -catenin likely plays a role distinct from that of -catenin . -catenin localizes to desmosomes and adherens junctions, both sites of intercellular adhesion, and interacts with the cytoplasmic domains of classical and desmosomal cadherins. Interaction of - or -catenin with -catenin, desmoplakin and other junction proteins provides a link between intercellular junctions and the actin and intermediate filament cytoskeleton. Maintenance and/or modification of this link is vital for control of cell adhesion and migration . -catenin is modified by phosphorylation, affecting both adhesion and -catenin dependent transcription , and by and O-glycosylation, affecting adhesion . Recent evidence suggests that -catenin regulates desmosomal adhesion in response to growth factor stimulation .