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In cell biology, adherens junctions (or zonula adherens, intermediate junction, or "belt desmosome" [1]) are protein complexes that occur at cell–cell junctions and cell–matrix junctions in epithelial and endothelial tissues, [2] usually more basal than tight junctions. An adherens junction is defined as a cell junction whose cytoplasmic ...
Spot-like adherens junctions called focal adhesions help cells adhere to extracellular matrix. The cytoskeletal actin filaments that tie into adherens junctions are contractile proteins and in addition to providing an anchoring function, adherens junctions are thought to participate in folding and bending of epithelial cell sheets.
Schematic of cell adhesion. Cell adhesion is the process by which cells interact and attach to neighbouring cells through specialised molecules of the cell surface. This process can occur either through direct contact between cell surfaces such as cell junctions or indirect interaction, where cells attach to surrounding extracellular matrix, a gel-like structure containing molecules released ...
A desmosome (/ ˈ d ɛ z m ə ˌ s oʊ m /; [1] [2] "binding body"), also known as a macula adherens (plural: maculae adherentes) (Latin for adhering spot), is a cell structure specialized for cell-to-cell adhesion. A type of junctional complex, they are localized spot-like adhesions randomly arranged on the lateral sides of plasma membranes.
The role of JAM-1 in tight junction biology is to function through mediation partly due to the localization of the Par-αPKC complex at adherens junctions during junction creation. [3] Once the tight junction is formed, many JAM-1 proteins are present, many of which are now phosphorylated at Ser285. [3]
Adjacent epithelial cells are connected by adherens junctions on their lateral membranes. They are located just below tight junctions. Their function is to give shape and tension to cells and tissues and they are also the site of cell-cell signaling. Adherens junctions are made of cell adhesion molecules from the cadherin family. There are over ...
This indicates that focal adhesions may function as mechanical sensors, and suggests that force generated from myosin fibers could contribute to maturing the focal complexes. [8] This gains further support from the fact that inhibition of myosin-generated forces leads to slow disassembly of focal adhesions, by changing the turnover kinetics of ...
While in the adherens junction, cadherins recruit β-catenin molecules onto their intracellular regions [clarification needed]. β-catenin, in turn, associates with another highly dynamic protein, α-catenin, which directly binds to the actin filaments. [39] This is possible because α-catenin and cadherins bind at distinct sites to β-catenin ...