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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...

Structure of Cadherins

Structure of Cadherins

The cadherins were one of the first cell adhesion molecules discovered; the term “cadherins” is based on their calcium-dependent adhering properties. The first cadherins discovered on the epithelial, neuronal, and placental cells were named E-cadherin, P-cadherin, and N-cadherin, respectively. These classical cadherins share sequence and structural similarities. Other cadherins, including those involved in cell signaling, are grouped into non-classical cadherins. This diversity of cadherins...

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...

Catenins

Catenins

Catenins are characterized by multiple binding domains and dynamic structures that allow them to function as linker proteins in cell junction complexes. All catenins, except α-catenin, contain a characteristic protein sequence called the armadillo repeat and are therefore also called armadillo proteins.
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...

Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles

Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles

Vesicle budding is orchestrated by distinct cytosolic proteins such as adaptor proteins, coat proteins, and GTPases. To initiate vesicle budding, membrane-bending proteins containing crescent-shaped BAR domains bind to the lipid heads in the bilayer and distort the membrane to form a protein-coated vesicle bud. Adaptors proteins such as AP2 for clathrin-coated vesicles can nucleate on the deformed membrane. Finally, coat proteins such as clathrin or COPI and COPII assemble into a coat forming...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules

Published on: October 17, 2014

Dendritic self-avoidance: protocadherins have it covered.

Phuong Hoang¹, Wesley B Grueber

¹Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168th St. P&S 12-403, New York, NY 10032, USA.

|September 19, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Clustered protocadherins mediate neuronal self-avoidance by enabling dendrites to recognize and repel their own branches. This mechanism is crucial for proper neuronal wiring in vertebrates.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Dendrites, the branched extensions of neurons, display self-avoidance, a crucial process where branches from the same neuron repel each other.
This self-avoidance ensures proper neuronal architecture and prevents synaptic interference, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the molecular basis of neuronal self-avoidance.
To identify the specific molecules involved in recognizing and repelling self-dendrites in vertebrates.

Main Methods:

The study likely involved genetic analysis, in vitro assays, and potentially in vivo imaging in model organisms.
Focus on the role of protocadherins in mediating cell-cell interactions.

Main Results:

Lefebvre and colleagues identified clustered protocadherins as key players in dendrite self-avoidance.
These clustered protocadherins facilitate the recognition of self-versus-non-self dendrites, mediating the repulsive interactions.

Conclusions:

Clustered protocadherins provide a molecular basis for neuronal recognition essential for dendrite self-avoidance in vertebrates.
This finding advances our understanding of how neurons establish precise connections and avoid self-interference during development.