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Anchoring Junctions

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:...

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular cells,...

Adherens Junctions

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
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Integrins

Integrins

Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
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Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma receptor (Eph) and its ligand, Eph receptor-interacting protein (Ephrin) were first discovered in the human carcinoma cell line, hence the name. Ephrin-Eph interaction guides cells to reach their appropriate location in adult tissues. They also play an essential role in the immune system by helping in immune cell migration, adhesion, and activation. Based on their structure and function, Eph is divided into two classes — EphA and EphB.

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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

A Protocol for Bioinspired Design: A Ground Sampler Based on Sea Urchin Jaws

A Protocol for Bioinspired Design: A Ground Sampler Based on Sea Urchin Jaws

Published on: April 24, 2016

The echinoderm adhesome.

Charles A Whittaker¹, Karl-Frederik Bergeron, James Whittle

¹Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

Developmental Biology

|September 5, 2006

Summary

Researchers surveyed sea urchin adhesion molecules, revealing deuterostome-specific innovations. This study enhances understanding of evolutionary roles of cell adhesion in development.

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A Protocol for Bioinspired Design: A Ground Sampler Based on Sea Urchin Jaws

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Microfocus X-ray CT (microCT) Imaging of Actinia equina (Cnidaria), Harmothoe sp. (Annelida), and Xenoturbella japonica (Xenacoelomorpha)

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In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

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Published on: August 31, 2018

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Evolutionary Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Sea urchin embryo development involves cell adhesion and migration, but specific molecules are poorly understood.
The Strongylocentrotus purpuratus genome provides an opportunity to study adhesion molecules.
Echinoderms' phylogenetic position allows comparative analysis with other deuterostomes and protostomes.

Purpose of the Study:

To comprehensively survey cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion molecules in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.
To compare echinoderm adhesion proteins with those of other invertebrates and vertebrates.
To gain insights into the evolution of adhesion molecules in developmental processes.

Main Methods:

Genome-wide analysis of adhesion-related genes and proteins (the adhesome).
Phylogenetic comparison of adhesion molecules across different taxa.
Bioinformatic analysis of the echinoderm adhesome.

Main Results:

The echinoderm adhesome shares similarities with other invertebrates.
Significant deuterostome-specific innovations in adhesion molecules were identified.
Some adhesion features previously thought to be vertebrate-specific were found in echinoderms.

Conclusions:

The study provides a foundational analysis of the echinoderm adhesome.
Identified deuterostome-specific innovations highlight unique evolutionary paths in this lineage.
Findings challenge previous assumptions about the conservation of certain adhesion molecules across deuterostomes.