KANK1 promotes breast cancer development by compromising Scribble-mediated Hippo activation.

KANK1 is expressed in epithelial cells and connects focal adhesions with the adjacent cortical microtubule stabilizing complex. Although KANK1 was shown to suppress cancer cell growth in vitro, TCGA database points to high KANK1 levels associated with poor prognosis in a wide spectrum of human malignancies. Here, we address this discrepancy and report that KANK1 promotes proliferation and survival of PyMT-transformed mammary tumor cells in vivo.

The USP12/46 deubiquitinases protect integrins from ESCRT-mediated lysosomal degradation.

The functions of integrins are tightly regulated via multiple mechanisms including trafficking and degradation. Integrins are repeatedly internalized, routed into the endosomal system and either degraded by the lysosome or recycled back to the plasma membrane. The ubiquitin system dictates whether internalized proteins are degraded or recycled.

Tissue distribution and subcellular localization of the family of Kidney Ankyrin Repeat Domain (KANK) proteins.

Kidney Ankyrin Repeat-containing Proteins (KANKs) comprise a family of four evolutionary conserved proteins (KANK1 to 4) that localize to the belt of mature focal adhesions (FAs) where they regulate integrin-mediated adhesion, actomyosin contractility, and link FAs to the cortical microtubule stabilization complex (CMSC). The human KANK proteins were first identified in kidney and have been associated with kidney cancer and nephrotic syndrome. Here, we report the distributions and subcellular localizations of the four Kank mRNAs and proteins in mouse tissues.

β1 Integrin regulates convergent extension in mouse notogenesis, ensures notochord integrity and the morphogenesis of vertebrae and intervertebral discs.

The notochord drives longitudinal growth of the body axis by convergent extension, a highly conserved developmental process that depends on non-canonical Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling. However, the role of cell-matrix interactions mediated by integrins in the development of the notochord is unclear. We developed transgenic Cre mice, in which the β1 integrin gene () is ablated at E8.