Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 9, 2026

Measurement of Force-Sensitive Protein Dynamics in Living Cells Using a Combination of Fluorescent Techniques
Published on: November 2, 2018
Trans- and cis-interaction dynamics of cadherin complexes on membranes visualized by high-speed atomic force
Shigetaka Nishiguchi1, Tadaomi Furuta2, Takayuki Uchihashi3,4,5,6
1Molecular Biosystems Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ikeda 563-8577, Japan.
Abstract:
Classical cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion is important for maintaining the animal body and defects in adhesion cause severe diseases. The combination of trans- (between cells) and cis- (on the same membrane) interactions of the extracellular domains of cadherins is necessary for cadherin clustering in cell-cell junctions, which is essential for robust tissue formation. However, the solution structure and interaction dynamics of trans/cis-binding cadherin complexes have not been observed because of technical limitations; therefore, the cadherin clustering mechanism is not well understood. In this study, we reconstituted trans/cis-binding cadherin complexes on membranes and visualized their structure and dynamics using high-speed atomic force microscopy. Our method revealed trans-strand-swap interactions through flipping and hopping motions and cis-interactions, which contributed to multiple interaction patterns on the membrane. In addition, we observed cadherin complex structures that were distinct from those in crystal structures. These results suggest that cadherins adopt dynamic and diverse conformations through multiple assembly pathways on the membrane.
More Related Videos
08:55Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
Published on: February 17, 2023
12:40Visualizing Clathrin-mediated Endocytosis of G Protein-coupled Receptors at Single-event Resolution via TIRF Microscopy
Published on: October 20, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Structure of Cadherins
Studying the Cytoskeleton
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...
Cadherins in Tissue Organization
Cell Sorting During Development
Cell sorting plays an...