Abstract
Cadherins and catenins evidently partnered at the dawn of the animal kingdom to enable the first polarized epithelium, and perhaps animal evolution itself. New evidence from a primitive slime mold, however, suggests that α- and β-catenins may have engaged this function independently, long before cadherins arrived on the scene.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
MeSH terms
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Cadherins / metabolism
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Cadherins / physiology
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Cell Polarity
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Dictyostelium / cytology
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Dictyostelium / growth & development
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Dictyostelium / physiology*
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Dictyostelium / ultrastructure
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Epithelial Cells / physiology*
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Epithelial Cells / ultrastructure
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Intercellular Junctions / metabolism
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Protozoan Proteins / metabolism
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Protozoan Proteins / physiology*
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alpha Catenin / metabolism
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alpha Catenin / physiology*
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beta Catenin / metabolism
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beta Catenin / physiology
Substances
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Cadherins
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Protozoan Proteins
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alpha Catenin
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beta Catenin