Cell-Cell Interactions

Cell adhesion molecules help cells stick together and work as part of a tissue. They give multicellular organisms physical strength and also help cells send signals across the plasma membrane. These proteins are important for coordinated activity in tissues and organ systems.

CAMs are grouped into four main families: integrins, cadherins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-like CAMs, or IgCAMs. Each family supports cell interactions in a different way. Some CAMs help cells attach firmly, while...

Cadherins are cell adhesion proteins that help cells stick together and build tissues. Their name comes from their calcium-dependent binding. Early examples were named E-cadherin, P-cadherin, and N-cadherin after the epithelial, placental, and neuronal cells where they were first found.

Classical cadherins share similar sequences and structures. Other cadherins, including those involved in cell signaling, are grouped as non-classical cadherins. This diversity comes from multiple cadherin genes...

Cadherins help cells sort into the right tissues during development. They are a large superfamily of cell adhesion molecules, with more than 180 variants. Different tissues express specific cadherin combinations, which helps cells recognize and stick to the right neighbors.

Cadherins usually bind to the same or a closely related cadherin on another cell. This is called homophilic binding. Because of this matching behavior, cells of the same type tend to group together and form clusters that...

Catenins help cells stay connected and also support signaling inside the body. These proteins act as linker proteins in cell junction complexes because they have multiple binding domains and flexible structures. Most catenins contain a protein sequence called the armadillo repeat, so they are also known as armadillo proteins. Alpha-catenin is the main exception.

Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins. They then connect cadherins to cytoskeletal proteins, and the exact link...

Selectins help cells make short, temporary contacts during immune responses. They are cell adhesion molecules that bind carbohydrate ligands on other cells. These rod-like proteins have a long outside region and end in a lectin domain, which binds carbohydrates only when calcium ions are present.

Three main selectins are known: L-selectin, P-selectin, and E-selectin. Their names reflect where they are found and how long they are. This tissue specificity helps explain why selectins act in...

Ig-CAMs, or immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules, are cell surface glycoproteins in the immunoglobulin superfamily. They contain immunoglobulin domains, and some also have fibronectin type III domains. Their Ig domains can be glycosylated to different degrees. These molecules can bind to the same kind of Ig-CAM or to other ligands, such as integrins.

Most Ig-CAMs help cells stick together only for a short time. The nectin class is different because it helps form stable junctions,...

Cell junctions help hold tissues together and let neighboring cells communicate. In multicellular organisms, the three-dimensional shape of tissues depends on interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures made of multi-protein complexes on one cell that connect with similar complexes on another cell.

These junctions are grouped into three main types based on function: occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions. Tight junctions, also called...

Adherens junctions are strong cell-to-cell anchors that help tissues stay connected. These anchoring junctions work with desmosomes, another type of junction that holds adjacent cells together. In many epithelial and endothelial tissues, adherens junctions form a continuous adhesion belt. In heart muscle, they often appear as clusters that help cells work together for coordinated contraction.

Adherens junctions are also dynamic, especially in the cells that line blood vessels. These...

Adherens junctions help cells stay attached while they respond to mechanical force. These multi-protein complexes can adapt to tensile force and shear stress. When the force changes, mechanosensory proteins in the junction can change shape. This process is called mechanotransduction.

Alpha-catenin is one of the main force-sensing proteins in adherens junctions. It is an allosteric protein, which means its shape affects how it works. Alpha-catenin has three VH, or vinculin homology, domains...

Desmosomes are cell junctions that anchor cells together. They are button-like structures that create an interlinked network of intermediate filaments across cells. This strong link helps tissues resist mechanical stress and maintain tissue integrity.

Desmosomes are built from multiple proteins. Their core includes desmosomal cadherins, which are adhesion proteins that bind to cadherins on neighboring cells. The two desmosomal cadherins are desmogleins and desmocollins. These transmembrane...

Tight junction proteins form seals between neighboring cells. These molecular barriers help stop fluids, ions, and other small solutes from leaking across body cavities and tissue compartments in multicellular organisms. They are an important part of cell barriers in places where controlled movement matters.

The main tight junction proteins are claudin and occludin. Other proteins include tricellulin and JAM, which stands for junctional adhesion molecule. Most of these proteins are 4-pass...

Gap junctions let adjacent animal cells share small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers. These communication channels connect the cytoplasm of neighboring cells. They are built from many molecular channels, often from a few hundred to thousands in one junction.

Each channel is made of two halves called connexon hemichannels. A connexon is a hexamer, meaning it is formed by six transmembrane connexin proteins. The six proteins arrange in a ring and create a pore in the center. One...