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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...

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:...

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

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...

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
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Integrins

Integrins

Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...

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Nectins localize Willin to cell-cell junctions.

Takashi Ishiuchi¹, Masatoshi Takeichi

¹RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0047, Japan.

Genes to Cells : Devoted to Molecular & Cellular Mechanisms

|April 20, 2012

Summary

Willin protein localization to epithelial cell junctions is mediated by binding to nectins. This interaction, along with afadin, is crucial for Willin

Area of Science:

Cell biology
Molecular biology
Epithelial biology

Background:

Willin, a FERM-domain protein, is linked to the Hippo signaling pathway and localizes to the apical junctional complex (AJC) in epithelial cells.
Willin regulates actomyosin cable contractility by recruiting atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) to the AJC.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the mechanism by which Willin associates with the AJC.
To identify the molecular interactions responsible for Willin's junctional localization.

Main Methods:

Co-immunoprecipitation assays to detect protein-protein interactions.
Immunofluorescence microscopy to visualize protein localization at the AJC.
Analysis of nectin and afadin interactions in epithelial cells.

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Main Results:

Willin directly binds to nectins, immunoglobulin-family cell adhesion molecules.
This Willin-nectin interaction is essential for the recruitment of Willin to the AJC.
Nectin localization at the AJC is dependent on their interaction with afadin.

Conclusions:

The nectin-afadin interaction is critical for the proper localization of Willin at the AJC.
This study reveals a novel mechanism for Willin recruitment to epithelial cell-cell junctions.
Understanding Willin's localization pathway provides insights into Hippo pathway regulation and epithelial cell polarity.