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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Culture Methods to Study Apical-Specific Interactions using Intestinal Organoid Models

Culture Methods to Study Apical-Specific Interactions using Intestinal Organoid Models

Published on: March 23, 2021

Epithelial cell surface polarity: the early steps.

Lene N Nejsum¹, W James Nelson

¹Departments of Biology, and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, The James H. Clark Center, Bio-X Program, Stanford University, 318 Campus Drive E200, Stanford, CA 94305-5430, USA. nejsum@stanford.edu

Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)

|March 11, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Epithelial cell polarity is crucial for tissue function. Cell-cell contact initiates polarity by recruiting the Exocyst and SNARE complex to E-cadherin, directing basolateral protein delivery.

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Epithelial Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Epithelial cell surface polarity is essential for transporting epithelia function.
Proper distribution of apical and basolateral proteins is critical; defects have severe consequences.
Recent findings indicate cell-cell contact initiates polarity.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation of epithelial cell polarity.
To investigate the role of the Exocyst and SNARE complex in basolateral protein targeting during cell adhesion.

Main Methods:

Observation of protein localization upon cell-cell contact.
Analysis of E-cadherin accumulation at cell junctions.
Investigating the co-localization of Exocyst and SNARE complex components with E-cadherin.

Main Results:

Cell-cell contact triggers the initiation of epithelial cell polarity.
The Exocyst and SNARE complex, initially cytoplasmic, localize to the forming cell-cell contact.
These complexes co-localize with E-cadherin at the adhesion site.
The Exocyst and SNARE complex are critical for specifying basolateral protein delivery to the cell surface.

Conclusions:

Epithelial polarity is established rapidly upon cell-cell contact.
The Exocyst and SNARE complex play a key role in directing basolateral protein delivery during the initial stages of cell adhesion.
Understanding these mechanisms is vital for comprehending epithelial tissue function and related pathologies.