Abstract
Both histological and in vitro studies indicate a relationship between T-cadherin levels and acquisition of a modulated, migratory phenotype by vascular cells. This study further examines a role for T-cadherin in relation to cell migration and adhesion. Fluorescence microscopic examination of T-cadherin localisation in confluent cultures of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), human aortic smooth muscle cells and the human carcinoma cell line ECV-304 revealed global distribution over the entire cell body, and with only slight enrichment at cell borders. This contrasts with restricted cell–cell junction localisation of classical cadherin (for example, VE-cadherin in HUVEC). In wounded cultures, T-cadherin polarised to the leading edge of cells migrating into the wound area, again contrasting with classical VE-cadherin, which was undetectable in this region. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that potential signalling functions of T-cadherin at the leading edge are unrelated to physical interactions with caveolin. Adherence of HUVEC onto a monolayer of T-cadherin-transfected L929 cells is significantly reduced compared with adhesion onto control (T-cadherin-negative) L929. Thus T-cadherin is not required for maintenance of intercellular adhesion, but may rather function as a signalling molecule involved in cell–cell recognition and sensing of the environment in processes where cell detachment occurs.
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This study was supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant number 31-58826.99), the Swiss Cardiology Foundation and the Herzkreislauf Stiftung.
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Philippova, M., Ivanov, D., Tkachuk, V. et al. Polarisation of T-cadherin to the leading edge of migrating vascular cells in vitro: a function in vascular cell motility?. Histochem Cell Biol 120, 353–360 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-003-0584-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-003-0584-6