SignalSilence^® γ-Catenin siRNA II (Mouse Specific) #12680

Also known as plakoglobin, γ-catenin is a member of the Armadillo family of signaling molecules, which includes β-catenin and the Drosophila protein armadillo (1). This family of proteins is involved in Wnt signaling, which is important in embryonic development and in tumorigenesis (2-3). Although the two vertebrate proteins β- and γ-catenin display sequence homology, γ-catenin likely plays a role distinct from that of β-catenin (1, 4-6). γ-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 γ- or β-catenin with α-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 (1). γ-catenin is modified by phosphorylation, affecting both adhesion and β-catenin dependent transcription (7), and by and O-glycosylation, affecting adhesion (8). Recent evidence suggests that γ-catenin regulates desmosomal adhesion in response to growth factor stimulation (9).