Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Myofibroblast development is characterized by specific cell-cell adherens junctions.

B Hinz1, P Pittet, J Smith-Clerc

  • 1Laboratory of Cell Biophysics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. boris.hinz@epfl.ch

Molecular Biology of the Cell
|July 9, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Myofibroblast adherens junctions (AJs) switch from N-cadherin to OB-cadherin during wound healing, enhancing their contractile function and mechanical resistance via alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). This OB-cadherin-mediated AJ activity is crucial for myofibroblast contraction.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Microstrip plastic scintillating detector system for quality assurance in synchrotron microbeam radiotherapy.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Divergent Impact of Actin Isoforms on Division of Epithelial Cells.

Biochemistry. Biokhimiia·2020
Same author

New injectable self-assembled hydrogels that promote angiogenesis through a bioactive degradation product.

Acta biomaterialia·2020
Same author

SciFi detector and associated method for real-time determination of profile and output factor for small fields in stereotactic radiotherapy.

Medical physics·2020
Same author

A novel method for engineering autologous non-thrombogenic in situ tissue-engineered blood vessels for arteriovenous grafting.

Biomaterials·2019
Same author

The role of myofibroblasts in wound healing.

Current research in translational medicine·2016

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Wound healing research
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Myofibroblasts in wound granulation tissue exhibit unique adherens junctions (AJs) compared to dermal fibroblasts.
  • The precise function, molecular makeup, and formation mechanisms of myofibroblast AJs remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of cadherins in myofibroblast AJ formation and function during wound healing.
  • To elucidate the contribution of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) to the mechanical properties of myofibroblast AJs.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cadherin expression (N-cadherin and OB-cadherin) in fibroblasts during wound healing and myofibroblast differentiation.
  • Assessment of AJ structure and mechanical resistance in myofibroblast cell pairs using flow chamber assays.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evaluation of the impact of alpha-SMA inhibition and anti-cadherin peptides on myofibroblast contraction in collagen gels.

    • Main Results:

    • Fibroblasts shift cadherin expression from N-cadherin in early wounds to OB-cadherin in contractile, alpha-SMA-positive myofibroblast-rich wounds.
    • Myofibroblast AJs are reinforced by alpha-SMA-mediated contractility, conferring high mechanical resistance.
    • Inhibition of alpha-SMA or OB-cadherin significantly reduces myofibroblast contractile activity and alters AJ morphology.

    Conclusions:

    • Cadherin expression dynamically changes during myofibroblast differentiation, with OB-cadherin becoming dominant in contractile myofibroblasts.
    • Myofibroblast AJs, particularly those involving OB-cadherin, are essential for generating contractile forces during wound healing.