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Related Concept Videos

Cadherins in Tissue Organization01:19

Cadherins in Tissue Organization

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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
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Structure of Cadherins01:25

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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...
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Catenins01:23

Catenins

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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.
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Chemical Synapses01:26

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

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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.
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Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
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The classic cadherins in synaptic specificity.

Raunak Basu1, Matthew R Taylor, Megan E Williams

  • 1a Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy ; University of Utah ; Salt Lake City , UT USA.

Cell Adhesion & Migration
|April 4, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neural circuits form specific connections during brain development. Classic cadherins are key molecules guiding synapse formation and target selection, crucial for preventing connectivity defects.

Keywords:
ADHD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorderBC, bipolar cellDG, dentate gyrusDN-cadherin, Drosophila N-cadherinEC, extracellular cadherinEGF, epidermal growth factor.RGCs, retinal ganglion cellsSNPs, single nucleotide polymorphismsclassic cadherinscognitive disordersmolecular identitysynaptic specificity

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Inhibitory Synapse Formation in a Co-culture Model Incorporating GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons and HEK293 Cells Stably Expressing GABAA Receptors
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Billions of neurons must form precise connections during brain development.
  • Specific synaptic connections are essential for proper cognitive function.
  • Defects in neural connectivity are implicated in cognitive and psychiatric disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of classic cadherins in neural circuit formation.
  • To explore cadherins' function in target selection and synapse specificity.
  • To highlight remaining questions regarding cadherins in neural development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of past and present studies.
  • Analysis of cadherin involvement in synapse formation.
  • Examination of cadherin function in neural circuit development.

Main Results:

  • Classic cadherins are implicated as active participants in neural circuit formation.
  • Cadherins play a role in target selection and ensuring synaptic specificity.
  • Evidence suggests cadherins are involved in the function and dysfunction of neural circuits.

Conclusions:

  • Classic cadherins are crucial for establishing specific neural connections.
  • Understanding cadherin function is vital for addressing neurological disorders.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate cadherins' role in synaptic specificity.