Drosophila p120catenin is critical for endocytosis of the dynamic E-cadherin–Bazooka complex

Abstract

The intracellular functions of classical cadherins are mediated through the direct binding of two catenins: β-catenin and p120catenin. While β-catenin is crucial for cadherin function, the role of p120catenin is less clear and appears to vary between organisms. We show here that p120catenin has a conserved role in regulating the endocytosis of cadherins, but that its ancestral role may have been to promote endocytosis, followed by the acquisition of a novel inhibitory role in vertebrates. In Drosophila, p120catenin facilitates endocytosis of the dynamic E-cadherin–Bazooka subcomplex, which is followed by its recycling. The absence of p120catenin stabilizes this subcomplex at the membrane, reducing the ability of cells to exchange neighbours in embryos and expanding cell-cell contacts in imaginal discs.