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Related Concept Videos

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.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
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Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

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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.
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Nucleosome Remodeling02:54

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Nucleosomes are the basic units of chromatin compaction. Each nucleosome consists of the DNA bound tightly around a histone core, which makes the DNA inaccessible to DNA binding proteins such as DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase. Hence, the fundamental problem is to ensure access to DNA when appropriate, despite the compact and protective chromatin structure.
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Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

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In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
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Electromotive Force02:36

Electromotive Force

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Electricity is generated by either electrons or ions flowing through a solution or a conducting medium. This flow of electrons or specifically electrical charge is defined as an electric current. When electrons move through a wire, they generate an electric current. It can be recalled  that in a redox reaction, electrons are lost and gained. In the spontaneous redox reaction of zinc  with copper, when zinc is immersed in a copper ion solution, a transfer of electrons from one substance to...
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Bone Remodeling01:40

Bone Remodeling

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Bone remodeling is a continuous and balanced process of bone resorption by osteoclasts and bone formation by osteoblasts. In adults, it helps maintain bone mass and calcium homeostasis. While mechanical stress can stimulate turnover as part of the normal maintenance and reparative process, several hormones also regulate bone remodeling.
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Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Reconstituting and Characterizing Actin-Microtubule Composites with Tunable Motor-Driven Dynamics and Mechanics
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Mechanical Force-Driven Adherens Junction Remodeling and Epithelial Dynamics.

Diana Pinheiro1, Yohanns Bellaïche1

  • 1Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, 75248 Paris Cedex 05, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, 75005 Paris, France.

Developmental Cell
|October 10, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Adherens junctions (AJs) maintain tissue integrity and dynamics. Mechanosensitive AJ remodeling is crucial for epithelial repair, cell migration, and overall tissue health under mechanical stress.

Keywords:
adhesionepitheliumgrowthhomeostasismechanical forcesmorphogenesis

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Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Biophysics
  • Tissue engineering

Background:

  • Adherens junctions (AJs) are vital for epithelial tissue integrity and dynamics.
  • Mechanical forces significantly influence AJ composition and behavior.
  • AJ mechanosensitivity is increasingly recognized for its role beyond adhesion reinforcement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an integrated view of how mechanosensing mechanisms regulate cell-cell contacts under tension.
  • To highlight the pivotal roles of mechanosensitive AJ remodeling in epithelial integrity and tissue dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent findings on AJ mechanosensing.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms governing AJ response to mechanical forces.
  • Integration of data on AJ remodeling, polarization, and tissue-level processes.

Main Results:

  • AJ mechanosensitivity actively promotes junctional remodeling and cell polarization.
  • Mechanosensitive AJ remodeling regulates key cellular processes like intercalation, division, and collective migration.
  • These mechanisms are critical for preserving epithelial integrity during development, repair, and homeostasis.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanosensing at adherens junctions is a fundamental process for epithelial tissue regulation.
  • Understanding AJ mechanosensitivity provides insights into maintaining tissue integrity and dynamics.
  • Targeting AJ mechanosensitivity may offer therapeutic potential for epithelial-related disorders.