1. ¹Department of Medical Zoology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto
2. ²Department of Parasitology, Miyazaki Medical College, MiyazakiM, Japan
3. ³Second Department of Pathology, Miyazaki Medical College, Miyazaki, Japan

Correspondence: Dr. Naoki Arizono, Department of Medical Zoology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan. Fax: 81 75 251 5328; E-mail: arizonon@basic.kpu-m.ac.jp

Received 21 July 2000.

Abstract

Cadherins, calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules, play crucial roles, not only in the maintenance of tissue integrity, but also in the regulation of many aspects of cell behavior. We investigated the expression of "classic" E-, N- and P-cadherins in bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells (BMMC) and peritoneal mast cells (PMC) from mice. Flow cytometric analysis and immunocytochemical staining indicated that E-cadherin was expressed on the cell surface of BMMC and also at lower levels on PMC. N-cadherin was also expressed on the surface of BMMC, but not of PMC, whereas P-cadherin expression was seen in neither cell type. Significant expression of E- and N-cadherin mRNA was observed in BMMC by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), but PMC expressed only E-cadherin mRNA. Western blotting analysis indicated expression of - and -catenins and p120-catenin (or p120 cas) in BMMC, whereas PMC showed less intense expression of - and -catenins with high levels of p120 expression. Analyses of -catenin or E-cadherin immunoprecipitates from BMMC lysate revealed that -catenin, -catenin, and E-cadherin were co-precipitated, suggesting that E-cadherin and catenins form a complex in mast cells. Addition of a blocking antibody of homophilic E-cadherin interactions, or a synthetic E-cadherin-binding decapeptide containing the histidine-alanine-valine (HAV) sequence in methylcellulose cultures of gut intraepithelial mononuclear cells or BMMC, significantly suppressed the clonal growth of mast cells. Furthermore, the blocking antibody or synthetic decapeptide significantly suppressed BMMC adhesion to E-cadherin-expressing F9 cell monolayers. These results indicated that E-cadherin and associated cytoplasmic proteins in mast cells might be involved in the regulation of certain stages of mast cell differentiation and cell-cell interactions.