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#cadherin-catenin complex

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Fertilization in mammals-ll

Cadherin-catenin complex essential for:

Compaction at eight-cell stage transforms loosely associated blastomeres into tightly adherent morula essential for polarization and lineage segregation. This process relies on calcium-dependent homophilic adhesion mediated by E-cadherin coupled via beta-catenin and alpha-catenin to actin cytoskeleton, recruiting to cell-cell contacts upon protein kinase C activation. Cadherin-catenin complex drives cortical tension changes, sealing intercellular gaps and activating polarity proteins Par3/Par6. Functional blocking of E-cadherin prevents compaction and blastocyst formation, demonstrating indispensable mechanical and signaling role of complex during early morphogenesis, epithelialization events critical for development and implantation readiness.

Ref: NCBI Bookshelf, Cell Adhesion Chapter: E-cadherin-catenin complex in morula compaction and epithelial polarity.

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Fertilization in mammals-iv

Cadherin-catenin complex role:

Morula compaction at eight-cell stage in mammals requires formation of stable intercellular adhesion via calcium-dependent E-cadherin homophilic binding. E-cadherin intracellular domain recruits beta-catenin and alpha-catenin linking to actin cytoskeleton, forming adherens junctions and apicobasal polarity. This complex drives blastomere flattening, increased contact area, sealing and peripheral localization of tight junction proteins, essential for establishing inner and outer cell positions. Complex is dispensable for blastocyst implantation, acrosomal reaction or capacitation but central to generating compacted morula that can cavitate and segregate inner cell mass versus trophectoderm lineages.

Ref: Stephenson et al., Development 2010: Cadherin-catenin mediated compaction and polarization of mouse morula blastomeres.

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