It recognizes a protein of 80-87kDa, identified as gamma-catenin. The catenins (, , and ) are ubiquitously expressed, cytoplasmic proteins that associate with E-cadherin at cellular junctions. Catenin/cadherin complexes play an important role in mediating cellular adhesion. T-catenin, also referred to as VR22, is a 895-amino acid protein that is most abundantly expressed in cardio-myocytes and in the peritubular myoid cells of the testis. T-catenin binds to E-catenin as well as to -catenin, and it functions to inhibit Wnt signaling. CTNNA3, the gene that encodes for -T-catenin, is located on chromosome 10, and mutations in this gene show a strong correlation to late-onset Alzheimer s disease (LOAD) as well as to dilated cardiomyopathy.
