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Related Concept Videos

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

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 Junctions01:14

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...
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Plasmodesmata01:20

Plasmodesmata

In a multicellular organism, cells must communicate to work together in a coordinated manner. One way that cells communicate is through direct contact with other cells. The points of contact that connect adjacent cells are called intercellular junctions.
Intercellular junctions are a feature of fungal, plant, and animal cells. However, different types of junctions are found in different kinds of cells. Intercellular junctions found in animal cells include tight junctions, gap junctions, and...

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Germ cell intercellular bridges.

Michael P Greenbaum1, Tokuko Iwamori, Gregory M Buchold

  • 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|June 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stable intercellular bridges in gametes are maintained by TEX14, crucial for male meiosis. This protein prevents cell division completion by interacting with CEP55, ALIX, and TSG101.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Genetics

Background:

  • Intercellular bridges are vital, conserved structures in gametogenesis across multicellular animals.
  • While components are known from Drosophila, mammalian intercellular bridges possess unique characteristics.
  • The precise function of these bridges, particularly in mammals, remained largely unelucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of the germ cell-specific factor TEX14 in mammalian gametogenesis.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which TEX14 maintains intercellular bridge stability.
  • To understand the role of TEX14 in male and female meiosis.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of intercellular bridge components in mammals and insects.
  • Genetic studies involving the loss of TEX14 function in gametes.
  • Molecular interaction studies to identify binding partners of TEX14, including CEP55, ALIX, and TSG101.

Main Results:

  • TEX14, an inactive kinase, is essential for maintaining stable intercellular bridges in both male and female gametes.
  • Loss of TEX14 specifically impairs male meiosis, highlighting sex-specific roles.
  • TEX14 functions by inhibiting the final abscission steps, competing with CEP55 and blocking its interactions with ALIX and TSG101 in non-germ cells.
  • RBM44, a TEX14-interacting protein, is localized to intercellular bridges but is not essential for their stability.

Conclusions:

  • TEX14 is a critical regulator of intercellular bridge stability and male meiosis.
  • The mechanism involves TEX14's interference with the cytokinesis abscission machinery.
  • These findings reveal novel insights into the specialized molecular mechanisms governing mammalian gametogenesis.