p120

p120 most commonly refers to p120 catenin, a cytoplasmic protein that participates in cell–cell adhesion and signaling. It is a member of the p120 catenin family and is encoded by the CTNND1 gene in humans.

In epithelial and other cells, p120 binds to the cytoplasmic tail of classical cadherins, such as E-cadherin, at adherens junctions. This interaction helps stabilize cadherins at the cell surface and modulate cell adhesion.

p120 also regulates the actin cytoskeleton and cell dynamics by influencing Rho family GTPases through interactions with regulators such as RhoGDI. Its phosphorylation can alter binding to cadherins and signaling activity.

Beyond membrane-associated roles, p120 can translocate to the nucleus where it binds the transcription factor Kaiso, affecting gene expression in a context-dependent manner.

Developmental and cancer studies indicate p120-catenin participates in tissue morphogenesis and in cancer cell behavior, including changes in adhesion and motility. Altered p120 signaling has been linked to tumor progression in several cancer types.

There are related proteins in the p120 catenin family, including delta-catenin (CTNND2), ARVCF, and p0071; they share structural features such as armadillo repeats and can have overlapping but distinct functions.