Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) of cultured mouse epidermal cells is mediated by a gap junction protein, connexin 43, and is dependent on the calcium concentration in the medium, with higher GJIC in a high-calcium (1.2 mM) medium. In several mouse epidermal cell lines, we found a good correlation between the level of GJIC and that of immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, at cell-cell contact areas. The variant cell line P3/22 showed both low GJIC and E-cadherin protein expression in low- and high-Ca2+ media. P3/22 cells showed very low E-cadherin mRNA expression. To test directly whether E-cadherin is involved in the Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of GJIC, we transfected the E-cadherin expression vector into P3/22 cells and obtained several stable clones which expressed high levels of E-cadherin mRNA. All transfectants expressed E-cadherin molecules at cell-cell contact areas in a calcium-dependent manner. GJIC was also observed in these transfectants and was calcium dependent. These results suggest that Ca(2+)-dependent regulation of GJIC in mouse epidermal cells is directly controlled by a calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin. Furthermore, several lines of evidence suggest that GJIC control by E-cadherin involves posttranslational regulation (assembly and/or function) of the gap junction protein connexin 43.
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August 01 1991
Regulation of connexin 43-mediated gap junctional intercellular communication by Ca2+ in mouse epidermal cells is controlled by E-cadherin.
W M Jongen,
W M Jongen
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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D J Fitzgerald,
D J Fitzgerald
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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M Asamoto,
M Asamoto
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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C Piccoli,
C Piccoli
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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T J Slaga,
T J Slaga
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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D Gros,
D Gros
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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M Takeichi,
M Takeichi
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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H Yamasaki
H Yamasaki
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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W M Jongen
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
D J Fitzgerald
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
M Asamoto
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
C Piccoli
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
T J Slaga
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
D Gros
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
M Takeichi
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
H Yamasaki
Programme of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
Online ISSN: 1540-8140
Print ISSN: 0021-9525
J Cell Biol (1991) 114 (3): 545–555.
Citation
W M Jongen, D J Fitzgerald, M Asamoto, C Piccoli, T J Slaga, D Gros, M Takeichi, H Yamasaki; Regulation of connexin 43-mediated gap junctional intercellular communication by Ca2+ in mouse epidermal cells is controlled by E-cadherin.. J Cell Biol 1 August 1991; 114 (3): 545–555. doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.114.3.545
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