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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:...

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

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...

Desmosomes

Desmosomes

The term desmosome derives from the Greek words "desmo" and "soma" meaning "adhesion bodies." This structure was first observed during the late 1800s and described as small, dense nodules in the epidermis. Desmosomes are button-like structures that help form an interlinked network of intermediate filaments across the cells. These junctions are essential to hold cells together under mechanical stress and to maintain tissue integrity. Desmosomes are multi-protein complexes comprising desmosomal...

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

The cadherins are a superfamily of cell adhesion molecules comprising over 180 variants, with specific tissues expressing a particular combination of cadherin types. Cadherins generally exhibit homophilic binding; i.e., cadherins on one cell bind to cadherins of the same or closely related type on another cell. Thus, cells of the same type have a specific affinity to bind to each other and sort themselves into clusters to form tissues.
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...

Cell Adhesion in Plants

Cell Adhesion in Plants

Plants have rigid cell walls that are made up of cell wall polysaccharides that mediate cell-cell adhesion. The primary cell walls of plants consist of two independent and interacting polysaccharide networks: a pectin matrix that embeds the second network comprising cellulose and hemicelluloses.
Pectins are complex heteropolymers mainly composed of negatively-charged α-D-glucopyranosyl uronic acid and some neutral glycosyl residues such as α-L-rhamnopyranose, α-L-arabinofuranose, and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Visualizing Neuroblast Cytokinesis During C. elegans Embryogenesis

Visualizing Neuroblast Cytokinesis During C. elegans Embryogenesis

Published on: March 12, 2014

Adherens junctions in C. elegans embryonic morphogenesis.

Stephen T Armenti¹, Jeremy Nance

¹Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, 10016, New York, NY, USA.

Sub-Cellular Biochemistry

|June 8, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Caenorhabditis elegans adherens junctions (AJs) are crucial for morphogenesis, combining adhesion and barrier functions. Unlike vertebrates, these AJs are not essential for general cell adhesion or polarization in C. elegans.

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Published on: October 3, 2017

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Developmental Biology
Genetics

Background:

Caenorhabditis elegans serves as a model for studying adherens junctions (AJs) and their role in morphogenesis.
Core AJ components (HMR-1/E-cadherin, HMP-2/β-catenin, HMP-1/α-catenin) were identified via genetic screens for body axis elongation defects.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the function and composition of adherens junctions (AJs) in C. elegans.
To understand the role of AJs in morphogenesis and compare them to vertebrate systems.

Main Methods:

Genetic screens to identify mutants with defects in body axis elongation.
Analysis of AJ protein localization in early embryos and epithelial cells.
Characterization of the Caenorhabditis elegans apical junction (CeAJ) structure and function.

Main Results:

AJ proteins localize to the apical junction (CeAJ) in epithelial cells, a structure integrating adhesive and barrier functions.
Apical polarity proteins PAR-3 and PAR-6 mediate junction formation, while LET-413/Scribble maintains apical positioning.
C. elegans AJs are vital for morphogenesis but not essential for general cell adhesion or polarization, unlike in vertebrates.

Conclusions:

The Caenorhabditis elegans apical junction (CeAJ) is a complex structure with conserved and novel proteins mediating adhesion.
C. elegans AJs play a critical role in morphogenesis by providing mechanical resistance.
The distinct role of AJs in C. elegans compared to vertebrates highlights evolutionary divergence in junctional complex function.