CTTN

Also known as EMS1, cortactin

Cortactin (from "cortical actin binding protein") is a monomeric protein located in the cytoplasm of cells that can be activated by external stimuli to promote polymerization and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, especially the actin cortex around the cellular periphery. It is present in all cell types. When activated, it will recruit Arp2/3 complex proteins to existing actin microfilaments, facilitating and stabilizing nucleation sites for actin branching. Cortactin is important in promoting lamellipodia formation, invadopodia formation, cell migration, and endocytosis.

Gene data

CTTN

Name: cortactin
Type: protein-coding
Position: 70,398,404–70,436,584 (+)
Aliases: EMS1
Ensembl: ENSG00000085733
RefSeq RNA: NM_001184740.2, NM_005231.4, NM_138565.3, XM_006718447.4, XM_006718448.5
RefSeq protein: NP_001171669.1, NP_005222.2, NP_612632.1, XP_006718510.1, XP_006718511.1

This gene is overexpressed in breast cancer and squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. The encoded protein is localized in the cytoplasm and in areas of the cell-substratum contacts. This gene has two roles: (1) regulating the interactions between components of adherens-type junctions and (2) organizing the cytoskeleton and cell adhesion structures of epithelia and carcinoma cells. During apoptosis, the encoded protein is degraded in a caspase-dependent manner. The aberrant regulation of this gene contributes to tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Three splice variants that encode different isoforms have been identified for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, May 2010].