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Related Concept Videos

Anchoring Junctions01:03

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor
11:17

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Published on: February 10, 2014

Multifunctional strands in tight junctions.

S Tsukita1, M Furuse, M Itoh

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan. htsukita@mfour.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|April 3, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Tight junctions form a crucial barrier in cells, controlling what passes through and separating cell surfaces. Recent molecular insights reveal their complex structure and functions.

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The C. elegans Intestine As a Model for Intercellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis at the Single-cell Level: Labeling by Antibody Staining, RNAi Loss-of-function Analysis and Imaging
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The C. elegans Intestine As a Model for Intercellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis at the Single-cell Level: Labeling by Antibody Staining, RNAi Loss-of-function Analysis and Imaging

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Functional Assessment of Intestinal Tight Junction Barrier and Ion Permeability in Native Tissue by Ussing Chamber Technique
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Functional Assessment of Intestinal Tight Junction Barrier and Ion Permeability in Native Tissue by Ussing Chamber Technique

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor
11:17

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Published on: February 10, 2014

The C. elegans Intestine As a Model for Intercellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis at the Single-cell Level: Labeling by Antibody Staining, RNAi Loss-of-function Analysis and Imaging
12:15

The C. elegans Intestine As a Model for Intercellular Lumen Morphogenesis and In Vivo Polarized Membrane Biogenesis at the Single-cell Level: Labeling by Antibody Staining, RNAi Loss-of-function Analysis and Imaging

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Functional Assessment of Intestinal Tight Junction Barrier and Ion Permeability in Native Tissue by Ussing Chamber Technique
06:43

Functional Assessment of Intestinal Tight Junction Barrier and Ion Permeability in Native Tissue by Ussing Chamber Technique

Published on: May 26, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Tight junctions are essential cell-cell adhesion structures in epithelial and endothelial cells.
  • They function as a primary barrier regulating paracellular solute diffusion.
  • Tight junctions define distinct plasma membrane domains and recruit associated proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular architecture of tight junctions.
  • To discuss the structure and functions of tight junctions at a molecular level.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent molecular insights into tight junction composition.
  • Analysis of protein interactions and cytoskeletal associations.

Main Results:

  • Detailed understanding of the molecular components forming the tight junction barrier.
  • Identification of signaling molecules recruited to the cytoplasmic surface.

Conclusions:

  • Tight junctions are complex molecular assemblies crucial for tissue integrity.
  • Molecular insights provide a framework for understanding tight junction function in health and disease.