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Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another cell. These cell junctions are classified into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another cell. These cell junctions are classified into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...

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:...

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...

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate.

The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells

The Role of Actin and Myosin in Non-muscle Cells

Actin and myosin or actomyosin filaments also play a significant role in cells other than those involved in muscle contraction (which occurs within the sarcomere of muscle cells). The mechanism of non-muscle cell contractile bundles was first observed in Dictyostelium and Acanthamoeba. In non-muscle cells, two bundles are commonly found: stress fibers and actomyosin adherence belts. These contractile bundles are smaller and less organized than the ones found in muscle cells. They are held...

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Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops

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Intercellular junctions: actin the PARt.

Le Shen¹, Jerrold R Turner

¹Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|November 13, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Polarity complexes are crucial for building and maintaining intercellular junctions. New research reveals endocytosis plays a vital role in these essential cell adhesion processes.

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Intercellular junctions are critical for tissue integrity and cell communication.
Polarity complexes are known regulators of junction assembly.
The role of these complexes in junction maintenance was less understood.

Discussion:

Two recent studies demonstrate that polarity complexes are essential for maintaining junctional integrity.
This finding recontextualizes the function of polarity complexes beyond initial assembly.
Endocytosis emerges as a key, previously unappreciated, player in junction maintenance.

Key Insights:

Polarity complexes are involved in both the assembly and ongoing maintenance of intercellular junctions.
Endocytosis is highlighted as a critical process for regulating junctional integrity.
A deeper understanding of the interplay between junction dynamics and cellular trafficking.

Outlook:

Further investigation into the specific mechanisms of endocytosis in junction regulation.
Exploring therapeutic targets related to junction integrity and endocytosis.
Elucidating the broader roles of polarity complexes in cellular organization and disease.