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Updated: Jul 28, 2026
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Sandwich-like Microenvironments to Harness Cell/Material Interactions
Published on: August 4, 2015
Summary
Embryonic chick corneal cells show increased desmosomes at day 15. Cell-cell interactions, not age, dictate desmosome formation, highlighting the local environment
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Epithelial Biology
Background:
- Desmosomes are crucial cell adhesion structures in epithelial tissues.
- A significant increase in desmosomes occurs in embryonic chick corneal epithelium around day 15 of incubation.
- Previous studies have not detailed this specific developmental increase.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of the local cellular environment on desmosome formation.
- To compare desmosome development in cells from different embryonic ages.
- To determine if cell-cell interactions affect desmosome assembly.
Main Methods:
- Dispersing corneal epithelial cells from 15-day and 10-day embryonic chicks.
- Co-culturing cells of different ages and confronting 15-day cells with pigment cells.
- Comparing desmosome formation on the surfaces of the same 15-day cell when adjacent to either a 15-day cell or a 10-day cell.
Main Results:
- Desmosome formation was preferential on the surface of 15-day cells adjacent to other 15-day cells.
- When confronted with pigment cells, 15-day cells predominantly formed desmosomes on the surface facing the pigment cell.
- Localized differences in desmosome formation on the same cell surface were observed.
Conclusions:
- The immediate cell environment significantly influences desmosome formation.
- Cell-cell interactions play a critical role in regulating desmosome assembly, overriding age-related differences.
- These findings emphasize the importance of local cues in epithelial cell adhesion.
