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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
The endothelial cells...

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:...

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

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...

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...

Desmosomes

Desmosomes

The term desmosome derives from the Greek words "desmo" and "soma" meaning "adhesion bodies." This structure was first observed during the late 1800s and described as small, dense nodules in the epidermis. Desmosomes are button-like structures that help form an interlinked network of intermediate filaments across the cells. These junctions are essential to hold cells together under mechanical stress and to maintain tissue integrity. Desmosomes are multi-protein complexes comprising desmosomal...

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins

Cell polarity is the asymmetric distribution of cellular and membrane components, making one side of the cell different from the other. This polarity is essential to many processes such as embryogenesis, axon migration, glucose transport across epithelial cells, and directional cell migration. A migrating cell responds to intracellular or extracellular signals via molecular cascades that reorganize the actin cytoskeleton to establish this polarity. In these cells, the Rho family proteins Cdc42,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Live-imaging of the Drosophila Pupal Eye

Live-imaging of the Drosophila Pupal Eye

Published on: January 12, 2015

Adherens junctions in Drosophila retinal morphogenesis.

Ulrich Tepass¹, Kathryn P Harris

¹Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada. utepass@zoo.utoronto.ca <utepass@zoo.utoronto.ca>

Trends in Cell Biology

|December 1, 2006

Summary

Adherens junctions, regulated by classic cadherins, are crucial for animal development. Understanding how these junctions dynamically modulate cell behavior is key to deciphering morphogenesis mechanisms.

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Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Live-imaging of the Drosophila Pupal Eye

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Published on: January 12, 2015

Dissection and Immunostaining of Imaginal Discs from Drosophila melanogaster

Dissection and Immunostaining of Imaginal Discs from Drosophila melanogaster

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Dissection and Immunohistochemistry of Larval, Pupal and Adult Drosophila Retinas

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Developmental Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Adherens junctions and classic cadherins are vital for animal morphogenesis.
The precise mechanisms governing adherens junction function during development are under active investigation.
These junctions play roles in organizing cellular patterns and facilitating cell shape changes and movements.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the regulatory mechanisms of adherens junction function during animal morphogenesis.
To investigate the dynamic modulation of adherens junctions in cellular processes.
To enhance the understanding of classic cadherins' role in developmental biology.

Main Methods:

Literature review on adherens junctions and cadherins.
Analysis of existing research on cell shape changes and movements.
Focus on dynamic modulation of cell junctions.

Main Results:

Adherens junctions are essential for organizing simple and complex cellular patterns.
Dynamic regulation of adherens junctions underlies cell shape changes and movements.
Classic cadherins are core components critical for these morphogenetic processes.

Conclusions:

Adherens junctions are fundamental to animal morphogenesis through dynamic regulation.
Further research into these mechanisms will illuminate developmental processes.
Classic cadherins are key players in mediating junctional dynamics during development.