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Immunocytochemistry reveals that in epithelial cells, the human cortactin protein is localized mainly in the cytoplasm and, to a very low extent, in protruding leading lamellae of the cell. However, in carcinoma cells that constitutively overexpress cortactin accumulates in the podosome-like adherens junctions associated with the cell-substratum contact sites. Overexpression and concomitant accumulation of the Cortactin protein in the cell-substratum contact sites might, therefore, contribute to the invasive potential of these tumor cells (1). In cells derived from breast carcinomas and squamous carcinomas of the head and neck, DNA amplification of a particular tyrosine kinase substrate region results in overexpression of cortactin. Overexpression is accompanied by a partial redistribution of cortactin from the cytoplasm into cell-matrix contact sites (2).