Figure 4.
Cadherin mutants cause down-regulation of endogenous VE-cadherin by competing for p120ctn. (A) MEC were transduced with adenoviruses carrying the various IL-2R-VE-cad mutants and endogenous VE-cadherin levels were monitored by Western blot analysis. The mutant lacking the p120ctn binding site (IL-2R-VE-cadJMD-AAA) failed to cause down-regulation of endogenous VE-cadherin. (B) p120ctn and β-catenin were coexpressed with the IL-2R-VE-cadcyto mutant to determine which armadillo family proteins could prevent the down-regulation of endogenous VE-cadherin in response to the cadherin mutant. p120ctn was able to prevent the down-regulation of endogenous VE-cadherin by the IL-2R-VE-cadcyto mutant, but β-catenin expression did not rescue endogenous VE-cadherin.