We have shown that two tropomyosin isoforms, TPM 1.6 and TPM 2.1, depend on N-terminal acetylation to be stable and functional and are important for focal adhesion formation in hepatoma cells whereas TPM 2.1 is involved in maintaining adherens and tight junction structure, retaining TJP1 and β-catenin at the cell-cell junctions. This evidence concerns the gene TJP1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.