The structure of the beta-catenin/E-cadherin complex and the molecular basis of diverse ligand recognition by beta-catenin.
Huber, A.H., Weis, W.I.(2001) Cell 105: 391-402
- PubMed: 11348595 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(01)00330-0
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1I7W, 1I7X - PubMed Abstract: 
As a component of adherens junctions and the Wnt signaling pathway, beta-catenin binds cadherins, Tcf family transcription factors, and the tumor suppressor APC. We have determined the crystal structures of both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated E-cadherin cytoplasmic domain complexed with the arm repeat region of beta-catenin. The interaction spans all 12 arm repeats, and features quasi-independent binding regions that include helices which interact with both ends of the arm repeat domain and an extended stretch of 14 residues which closely resembles a portion of XTcf-3. Phosphorylation of E-cadherin results in interactions with a hydrophobic patch of beta-catenin that mimics the binding of an amphipathic XTcf-3 helix. APC contains sequences homologous to the phosphorylated region of cadherin, and is likely to bind similarly.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Departments of Structural Biology and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.