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Cadherins in Tissue Organization

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...

Structure of Cadherins

Structure of Cadherins

The cadherins were one of the first cell adhesion molecules discovered; the term “cadherins” is based on their calcium-dependent adhering properties. The first cadherins discovered on the epithelial, neuronal, and placental cells were named E-cadherin, P-cadherin, and N-cadherin, respectively. These classical cadherins share sequence and structural similarities. Other cadherins, including those involved in cell signaling, are grouped into non-classical cadherins. This diversity of cadherins...

Gastrulation

Gastrulation

Gastrulation establishes the three primary tissues of an embryo: the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. This developmental process relies on a series of intricate cellular movements, which in humans transforms a flat, “bilaminar disc” composed of two cell sheets into a three-tiered structure. In the resulting embryo, the endoderm serves as the bottom layer, and stacked directly above it is the intermediate mesoderm, and then the uppermost ectoderm. Respectively, these tissue strata will form...

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...

Catenins

Catenins

Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...

Determination

Determination

During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...

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An Explant Assay for Assessing Cellular Behavior of the Cranial Mesenchyme

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A role for N-cadherin in mesodermal morphogenesis during gastrulation.

Rachel M Warga¹, Donald A Kane

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA.

Developmental Biology

|September 11, 2007

Summary

The zebrafish biber mutant reveals a gain-of-function mutation in N-cadherin, disrupting cell adhesion. This study highlights N-cadherin

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

Cell adhesion molecules are crucial for tissue organization during development.
N-cadherin plays established roles in neural and somite morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the function of the zebrafish biber (bib) mutant.
To elucidate the role of N-cadherin in mesodermal and ectodermal development.

Main Methods:

Analysis of zebrafish biber (bib) mutant.
Antisense oligonucleotide knockdown experiments.
N-cadherin mRNA expression analysis.

Main Results:

The bib mutant represents a gain-of-function N-cadherin allele, phenocopying parachute (pac) null alleles.

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Mutant phenotypes include disrupted cell-cell contacts in mesoderm and ectoderm, leading to defects in gastrulation, somite formation, and neural tube organization.

N-cadherin expression precedes mesodermal defects during early gastrulation.

Conclusions:

N-cadherin is essential for mesodermal germ layer morphogenesis during gastrulation.
The study identifies a novel role for N-cadherin in early embryonic development beyond its known functions.
Gain-of-function mutations in N-cadherin can significantly impair embryonic development.