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Related Concept Videos

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

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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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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. 
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Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...
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Adherens Junctions01:24

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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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The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
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Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Engineering Three-dimensional Epithelial Tissues Embedded within Extracellular Matrix
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Engineering Three-dimensional Epithelial Tissues Embedded within Extracellular Matrix

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Mechanosensitive Junction Remodeling Promotes Robust Epithelial Morphogenesis.

Michael F Staddon1, Kate E Cavanaugh2, Edwin M Munro3

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Biophysical Journal
|October 23, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Epithelial tissue shape changes are driven by pulsatile contractions. This study reveals that mechanosensitive tension remodeling and strain relaxation in cell junctions enable irreversible deformations, driving robust morphogenesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Epithelial morphogenesis relies on coordinated cell shape changes.
  • Pulsatile contractions of intercellular junctions drive tissue-scale deformations in vivo.
  • The mechanism and function of this pulsatile ratcheting remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanistic basis of irreversible deformations in epithelial tissue.
  • To understand how pulsatile contractions lead to robust epithelial shape changes.
  • To develop a model that captures the observed junctional mechanics during morphogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Combined theoretical modeling with biophysical experiments.
  • Utilized optogenetic control of actomyosin contractility.
  • Developed a modified vertex model incorporating thresholded tension remodeling and continuous strain relaxation.

Main Results:

  • Epithelial junctions exhibit elastic behavior under low stress but irreversible deformation under high stress.
  • Existing models failed to replicate these mechanosensitive junction behaviors.
  • The proposed model, with thresholded remodeling and strain relaxation, accurately describes experimental findings.

Conclusions:

  • Mechanosensitive tension remodeling and continuous strain relaxation are key to epithelial junction mechanics.
  • This combination provides a robust mechanism for large-scale tissue morphogenesis.
  • The pulsatile ratcheting of junctions drives irreversible deformations essential for development.