| First Author | Weng A | Year | 2022 |
| Journal | Biol Open | Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 12 | PubMed ID | 36420826 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:332176 | Mgi Id | MGI:7411272 |
| Doi | 10.1242/bio.059634 | Citation | Weng A, et al. (2022) Alpha-T-catenin is expressed in peripheral nerves as a constituent of Schwann cell adherens junctions. Biol Open 11(12):bio059634 |
| abstractText | The adherens junction component, alpha-T-catenin (alphaTcat) is an established contributor to cardiomyocyte junction structure and function, but recent genomic studies link CTNNA3 polymorphisms to diseases with no clear cardiac underpinning, including asthma, autism and multiple sclerosis, suggesting causal contributions from a different cell-type. We show Ctnna3 mRNA is highly expressed in peripheral nerves (e.g. vagus and sciatic), where alphaTcat protein enriches at paranodes and myelin incisure adherens junctions of Schwann cells. We validate alphaTcat immunodetection specificity using a new Ctnna3-knock-out fluorescence reporter mouse line yet find no obvious Schwann cell loss-of-function morphology at the light microscopic level. CTNNA3/Ctnna3 mRNA is also abundantly detected in oligodendrocytes of the central nervous system via public databases, supporting a general role for alphaTcat in these unique cell-cell junctions. These data suggest that the wide range of diseases linked to CTNNA3 may be through its role in maintaining neuroglial functions of central and peripheral nervous systems. This article has a corresponding First Person interview with the co-first authors of the paper. |
