Switching of α-catenin from αE-catenin in the cortical ventricular zone to αN-catenin II in the intermediate zone

Abstract

Although cadherins and catenins are known to play important roles during neural development, the types of α-catenin present in the developing telencephalon are still unknown. Here, we show that the ventricular zones (VZ) of the cortex and the ganglionic eminences express αE-catenin and αN-catenin, respectively, in a complementary manner. In the cortex, α-catenin is switched from αE-catenin in the VZ to αN-catenin II in the intermediate zone (IMZ).