p120-Catenin: a novel regulator of innate immunity and inflammation.

p120-Catenin is the prototypic member of a subfamily of armadillo repeat domain proteins. Like its structural homologues, β- and γ-catenin, p120-catenin is an essential component of adherens junctions in endothelial cells and other polarized adherent cells. p120-Catenin binds directly to the cytoplasmic domain of cadherin and contributes to the regulation of cell-cell junctional integrity. Studies have demonstrated that p120-catenin plays important roles in cell-cell adhesion, embryonic development, cell proliferation and polarity, tumor cell migration, and cancer progression. However, recent insights have generated an entirely new perspective, suggesting that p120-catenin is implicated in the anti-inflammatory responses in the absence and presence of infection. This review summarizes the present knowledge and recent progress toward elucidating the novel role of p120-catenin in the regulation of innate immunity and inflammation.