Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics
Published on: March 26, 2018
The regulation of cell-cell adhesion during epithelial-mesenchymal transition, motility and tumor progression
Grégoire F Le Bras1, Kenneth J Taubenslag, Claudia D Andl
1Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Abstract:
Adherens junctions (AJs) are essential for the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis and a key factor in the regulation of cell migration and tumor progression. AJs maintain cell-cell adhesion by linking transmembrane proteins to the actin cytoskeleton. Additionally, they participate in recruitment of signaling receptors and cytoplasmic proteins to the membrane. During cellular invasion or migration, AJs are dynamically regulated and their composition modified to initiate changes in signaling pathways and cytoskeleton organization involved in cellular motility. Loss of E-cadherin, a key component of AJs, is characteristic of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) and is associated with tumor cell invasion. We will review recent findings describing novel mechanisms involved in E-cadherin transcription regulation, endocytosis of E-cadherin and signaling associated with loss of AJs as well as reorganization of the AJ during EMT.
Related Concept Videos
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
Cell Migration
Cell Migration
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

