Background of the antigen
Two highly conserved complexes are responsible for the assembly of tight junctions, the Crumbs-Pals1-Patj complex and the Cdc42-Par6-Par3-aPKC complex. Tight junctions assist in the formation of polarity in the epithelia by establishing a barrier to separate apical and basolateral membranes. Pals1, importantly, mediates interaction between the two complexes via interaction with Par6. Loss of Pals1 function results in delayed polarization, decreased transepithelial electrical resistance and an inability to form lumenal cysts. Because tumors exhibit perturbations in epithelial polarity, Pals1 presents a new potential target in the study of carcinogenesis.
