p120 ctn, NT Antibody from MyBioSource.com

Originally characterized as a prominent substrate for Src(14) and receptor protein tyrosine kinases (eg, EGF, PDGF, CSF- 1)(6), p120ctn is a novel catenin (10, 13) which binds directly to the juxtamembrane region of classical cadherins (eg, Ecadherin).(3, 11, 13, 18) Emerging evidence suggests a prominent role in the regulation of cadherin mediated adhesion.(1, 4, 12) Most cells express multiple isoforms of p120 that arise by alternative splicing(8, 9, 11), some of which can be distinguished using monoclonal antibodies.(17) Fibroblasts express mostly type 1 isoforms containing an N-terminal extension of 101 amino acids. Type I isoforms may be important for cell motility and are selectively recognized by Mab 6H11. Epithelial cells preferentially express shorter isoforms lacking this extension. Mab 15D2 reacts with a C-terminal epitope found in all known p120 isoforms. Heterogeneous or negative p120 staining has been reported in breast(5) and colon carcinomas(7, 16), and decreased p120 expression in bladder tumors correlated with a poor prognosis.(15) Loss of p120 or E-cadherin never occurs in epithelial tissues under normal circumstances, and its expression is probably mandatory for normal tissue architecture. Interestingly, p120 was recently reported to bind a nuclear POZ/ZF transcription factor called Kaiso.(2) Thus, like its cousin b-catenin, p120 may have dual roles in both cell-cell adhesion and in nuclear signaling