Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2025
08:15
Bead Aggregation Assays for the Characterization of Putative Cell Adhesion Molecules
Published on: October 17, 2014
10.5K
Long range juxtacrine signalling through cadherin for collective cell orientation
Peizheng Wu1, Shogo Sawaki1, Kei Yamauchi1
1Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Yoshidahonmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
Acta Biomaterialia
|October 25, 2024
Summary
Direct cell-to-cell communication, known as juxtacrine signalling, guides collective cell orientation. This signalling mechanism transmits orientation cues over long distances, crucial for processes like tissue repair and development.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Collective cell migration is vital for development, tissue remodelling, and wound healing.
- Disordered cell orientation impedes orderly collective cell migration, necessitating control mechanisms.
- Understanding juxtacrine signalling is crucial for comprehending cell behaviors and mechanotransduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of juxtacrine signalling in collective cell orientation.
- To determine the mechanism by which collective cell orientation is controlled.
- To explore the range and nature of signalling involved in cell orientation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mechanical stimulation to induce collective cell migration.
- Investigated signalling pathways involved in cell orientation, focusing on juxtacrine signalling.
- Measured the transmission range of orientation signals in collective cell cultures.
Main Results:
- Juxtacrine signalling, mediated by cadherin, is critical for collective cell orientation.
- Orientation signals were transmitted over long distances (up to 7 mm) via juxtacrine signalling.
- Mechanical stimulation's influence on cell orientation can be transmitted non-mechanically over long ranges.
Conclusions:
- Juxtacrine signalling, not force transmission, is the primary driver of collective cell orientation.
- Demonstrated long-range juxtacrine signalling for the first time, extending up to 7 mm.
- This finding has significant implications for understanding various biological phenomena including development and tissue repair.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Structure of Cadherins
3.3K
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...
3.3K
01:19Cadherins in Tissue Organization
2.9K
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
Cell sorting plays an...
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...
2.9K
01:23Overview of Cell Signaling
20.1K
Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...
20.1K
01:24Adherens Junctions
4.7K
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
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
4.7K
01:17Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions
2.6K
Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Some...
2.6K
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
4.7K
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...
4.7K