Separation force measurements reveal different types of modulation of E-cadherin-based adhesion by nectin-1 and -3.

Nectins are Ca2+-independent cell adhesion molecules found at cadherin-based adherens junctions. We used a dual pipette assay that measures the forces required to separate cell doublets to determine how nectins affect the formation and strength of cell-cell adhesion. Less force was required to separate doublets of L cells expressing nectin-1 or nectin-3 than to separate doublets of E-cadherin-expressing cells. Heterodimers formed between cells expressing nectin-1 or nectin-3 adhered more strongly than homodimers. Nectin-3 that does not trans-interact with nectin-1 inhibited E-cadherin-mediated adhesion. However, the extracellular fragment of nectin-1 did not have an agonistic effect on E-cadherin-dependent cell adhesion when it trans-interacted with nectin-3, expressed at high levels in cells. In contrast, the extracellular fragment of nectin-3 had a significant agonistic effect on cadherin-based adhesion when it interacted with endogenous nectin-1, expressed at low levels in cells. Our results indicate that E-cadherin is the key molecule involved in cell adhesion and that the regulation of E-cadherin-based adhesion involving cellular nectin-1 trans-interacting with nectin-3 is qualitatively different from that involving cellular nectin-3 trans-interacting with nectin-1 and depends on the nectin levels expressed by cells.