Effects of Rho Family GTPases on Cell-Cell Adhesion

Cell-cell adhesion is dynamically rearranged in various cellular processes, including cell scattering, wound healing, developmental morphogenesis, and tumor metastasis. Cadherins are Ca2+ -dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion molecules (1 ) and bind β-catenin or plakoglobin (also known as γ-catenin), which in turn is linked to the actin cytoskeleton via α-catenin. This linkage between cadherins and the actin cytoskeleton is required for the development of a strong adhesive state (2 ). However, the mechanism underlying the dynamic rearrangement in cell-cell adhesion remains unclear.