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Updated: Jan 28, 2026
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Analysis of Protein-protein Interactions and Co-localization Between Components of Gap, Tight, and Adherens Junctions in Murine Mammary Glands
Published on: May 30, 2017
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Organization and function of tension-dependent complexes at adherens junctions.
Cordelia Rauskolb1, Estelle Cervantes1, Ferralita Madere1
1Waksman Institute and Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Journal of Cell Science
|March 7, 2019
Summary
The Ajuba LIM protein Jub acts as a tension reporter at adherens junctions in Drosophila. It helps regulate cellular organization and tension distribution through a feedback loop.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Adherens junctions connect epithelial cells and link to the cytoskeleton, enabling force sensing and biomechanical signaling.
- The Ajuba LIM protein Jub is involved in cellular mechanical responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Jub in adherens junctions under varying tension.
- To understand how Jub contributes to cellular organization and tension modulation.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment patterns of Jub to adherens junctions in Drosophila embryos with high myosin activity were examined.
- Interactions between Jub, Step (cytohesin), and Sstn (cytohesin adapter) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Jub recruitment to adherens junctions varied with tension organization, appearing in puncta near vertices under high myosin activity.
- Jub shares roles in modulating tension and cellular organization with Step and Sstn.
- Jub and Sstn collaborate to recruit Step to tensioned adherens junctions.
Conclusions:
- Jub serves as a reliable reporter of tension at adherens junctions.
- Distinct tension-dependent and tension-independent junctional complexes exist.
- Jub mediates a feedback loop influencing tension distribution and epithelial cell organization.
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