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Related Concept Videos

Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

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Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
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Membrane Fluidity01:26

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Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
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Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.
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Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

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The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight...
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Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

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A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
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Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

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Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
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Tight Junction ZO Proteins Maintain Tissue Fluidity, Ensuring Efficient Collective Cell Migration.

Mark Skamrahl1, Hongtao Pang1, Maximilian Ferle1

  • 1Institute of Physical Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstr. 6, Göttingen, 37077, Germany.

Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)
|August 12, 2021
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Summary

Tight junctions (TJ) proteins ZO1 and ZO2 are crucial for fast, cohesive epithelial cell migration. Their loss disrupts cell mechanics, leading to jamming and inefficient tissue movement.

Keywords:
actinatomic force microscopycell mechanicsco-culturecollective cell migrationjammingtight junctions

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Epithelial Tissue Dynamics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Tight junctions (TJs) form epithelial barriers, but their role in collective cell migration is unclear.
  • Zonula occludens (ZO) proteins ZO1 and ZO2 are key TJ components.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the function of ZO1 and ZO2 in epithelial collective cell migration.
  • Elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying TJ protein involvement in cell movement.

Main Methods:

  • Video microscopy with velocimetry and segmentation.
  • Cell tracking and atomic force microscopy/spectroscopy.
  • Analysis of ZO1 and ZO2 knockdown (dKD) effects on cell behavior.

Main Results:

  • ZO1 and ZO2 are essential for rapid and coherent epithelial migration.
  • Loss of ZO proteins causes actomyosin remodeling, altering cell viscoelasticity.
  • Distinct cell subpopulations emerge, leading to crowding-induced jamming and reduced migration efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • ZO proteins maintain tissue fluidity and control proliferation, enabling efficient collective cell migration.
  • Disruption of TJs impacts cell mechanics and tissue-level dynamics.
  • This study highlights TJs as critical regulators of epithelial tissue movement.