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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...

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...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics

Published on: March 26, 2018

Adherens junctions and cancer.

Valeri Vasioukhin¹

¹Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA, vvasiouk@fhcrc.org.

Sub-Cellular Biochemistry

|June 8, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cadherins and catenins are key cell adhesion molecules. Changes in their expression and function are linked to epithelial cancer development, progression, and patient outcomes.

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Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics

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Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Cell Biology
Oncology

Background:

Cadherins and catenins are crucial for adherens junctions (AJs), mediating cell-cell adhesion.
Dysregulation of these proteins is implicated in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the role of cadherins and catenins in epithelial cancers.
To examine alterations in their expression and function in human cancer.
To explore molecular mechanisms linking AJs to cancer initiation and progression.

Main Methods:

Literature review of published studies.
Analysis of changes in cadherin and catenin expression and function.
Examination of mechanistic studies on AJ involvement in cancer.

Main Results:

Significant alterations in cadherin and catenin expression and function are observed in human epithelial cancers.
These changes correlate with patient outcomes.
Mechanistic studies reveal the importance of AJs in cancer development.

Conclusions:

Cadherins and catenins play a critical role in epithelial cancer.
Understanding their altered roles provides insights into cancer initiation and progression.
Targeting AJs may offer therapeutic strategies.