Cadherin-26 (CDH26) regulates airway epithelial cell cytoskeletal structure and polarity

• DOI: 10.1038/s41421-017-0006-x
• Publication Date: 2018-02-12T12:23:41Z
• Authors: Marrah E. Lachowi...; Erin D. Gordon; Agata Wesolowska-...; Nathan D. Jackson; Hannah J. MacLeod; Louis Z. Sharp; Matthew Sun; Max A. Seibold; John V. Fahy
• Keywords: Cell polarity; Epithelial polarity; Polarity (international relations)

Abstract Polarization of the airway epithelial cells (AECs) in lumen is critical to proper function mucociliary escalator and maintenance lung health, but cellular requirements for polarization AECs are poorly understood. Using human cell lines, we demonstrate that cadherin-26 (CDH26) abundantly expressed differentiated AECs, localizes apices near ciliary membranes, has functional cadherin domains with homotypic binding. We find a unique non-redundant role CDH26, previously uncharacterized regulation cell–cell contact integrity through maintaining cytoskeletal structures. Overexpression CDH26 fibroblastoid phenotype increases inhibition promotes monolayer formation cortical actin expression also important localization planar polarity proteins. Knockdown results loss disruption CRB3 other proteins associated apical polarity. Together, our findings uncover unrecognized functions cytoskeleton apicobasal AECs.