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Related Concept Videos

Adhesion01:14

Adhesion

Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow glass...
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...
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...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions01:17

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...
Drug-Receptor Bonds01:25

Drug-Receptor Bonds

Drug-receptor bonds are formed through various chemical forces when drugs interact with target cells. Covalent bonds, strong and irreversible, are exemplified by DNA-alkylating anticancer agents that inhibit cell division. However, such irreversible drug binding lacks selectivity and can modify the DNA of the surrounding healthy cells. Covalent binding often contributes to tissue toxicity, as seen with chloroform and paracetamol metabolites binding to the liver, causing hepatotoxicity.
In...
Introduction to Chemical Bonds01:01

Introduction to Chemical Bonds

Chemical Bonds
The electrons of the outermost energy level determine the energetic stability of the atom and its tendency to form chemical bonds with other atoms. The innermost electron shell has a maximum capacity of two electrons, but the next two electron shells can each have a maximum of eight electrons. This is known as the octet rule, which states that, with the exception of the innermost shell, atoms are most stable energetically when they have eight electrons in their valence shell, the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface
13:22

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface

Published on: November 2, 2011

Catch bonds in adhesion.

Wendy Thomas1

  • 1Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5061, USA. wendyt@u.washington.edu

Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
|July 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Biological catch bonds strengthen with force, enhancing cell adhesion. This review explores selectins and FimH, revealing principles for designing new force-dependent biomaterials.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cellular Biology
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Catch bonds are biological adhesive bonds whose lifetimes increase under tensile mechanical force, a counter-intuitive phenomenon.
  • Selectins (blood proteins) and FimH (bacterial protein) are key examples of proteins forming catch bonds, mediating shear-enhanced adhesion.
  • Cellular organelles influence shear-enhanced adhesion by modulating force on catch bonds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms by which individual catch bond behavior contributes to shear-enhanced cellular adhesion.
  • To examine the two best-understood examples of catch bond systems: selectins and FimH.
  • To extract design principles for understanding other shear-enhanced adhesion types and engineering novel force-dependent biomaterials.

Main Methods:

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Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
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Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

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Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads
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Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads

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Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface
13:22

Adhesion Frequency Assay for In Situ Kinetics Analysis of Cross-Junctional Molecular Interactions at the Cell-Cell Interface

Published on: November 2, 2011

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
08:15

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Published on: October 17, 2014

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads
07:55

Analyzing Cell Surface Adhesion Remodeling in Response to Mechanical Tension Using Magnetic Beads

Published on: March 8, 2017

  • Review of single-molecule experiments and cell-free assays demonstrating catch bond existence and function.
  • Analysis of how cellular organelles modulate forces applied to catch bonds.
  • Examination of the biophysical mechanisms underlying catch bond behavior in selectin and FimH systems.

Main Results:

  • Catch bonds demonstrably exist and mediate shear-enhanced adhesion, binding cells more strongly at high shear.
  • Tensile mechanical force enhances the lifetimes of these specific biological adhesive bonds.
  • Cellular mechanics play a crucial role in modulating the forces experienced by catch bonds, contributing to overall adhesion.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding individual catch bond mechanics is key to comprehending shear-enhanced cellular adhesion.
  • The principles derived from selectin and FimH systems can inform the study of other shear-enhanced adhesion phenomena.
  • Catch bonds offer a promising foundation for engineering novel nanostructured, force-dependent adhesives.