Bves: Ten years after
Hillary A. Hager1 and David M. Bader1,2
1Vanderbilt University, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and 2Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nashville TN, USA.
Offprint requests to: Dr. David M. Bader, Vanderbilt University, 2220 Pierce Avenue PRB 348 Nashville TN, 37232-6300, USA. e-mail: david.bader@vanderbilt.edu
Summary. Bves was discovered in 1999 by two independent laboratories using screens to identify novel genes that were highly expressed in the developing heart (Reese et al., 1999; Andree et al., 2000). As an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein, Bves is postulated to play a role in cell adhesion and cell motility. In studies of Bves protein disruption, there have been multiple phenotypes, but few molecular mechanisms have been advanced to explain the underlying cause of these phenotypes. As the molecular function of Bves protein begins to be uncovered, it is now time to review the literature to examine the significance of this work and future directions of study. This review summarizes the literature on this unique protein and explores new and exciting data that support emerging themes on its molecular function. Histol Histopathol 24, 777-787 (2009)
Key words: Cell adhesion, Cell motility, Epithelia, GEFT, Popdc
DOI: 10.14670/HH-24.777