Adherens junction
Adherens Junction
Adherens junctions (pronunciation: ad-heer-enz junc-tion) are a type of cell junction that play a crucial role in the cell adhesion process, which is essential for the formation and maintenance of tissue architecture in multicellular organisms.
Etymology
The term "adherens junction" is derived from the Latin word "adhaerens", meaning "sticking to", and the English word "junction", meaning "a point where two or more things are joined". This reflects the function of adherens junctions, which is to facilitate the adhesion of cells to each other.
Function
Adherens junctions are primarily responsible for mediating cell-cell adhesion. They are composed of cadherin proteins, which bind to similar proteins on adjacent cells, thereby forming a bridge that holds the cells together. In addition to their role in cell adhesion, adherens junctions also play a role in signal transduction, as they can transmit signals from the extracellular environment to the interior of the cell.
Related Terms
- Cell junction: A type of structure that exists within the tissue of some multicellular organisms, such as animals. It consists of multiprotein complexes that provide contact between neighboring cells or between a cell and the extracellular matrix.
- Cell adhesion: The process by which cells interact and attach to a surface, substrate or another cell, mediated by interactions between molecules of the cell surface.
- Cadherin: A type of protein that is involved in the formation of adherens junctions and plays a crucial role in cell adhesion.
- Signal transduction: The process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events, most commonly protein phosphorylation catalyzed by protein kinases, which ultimately results in a cellular response.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Adherens junction
- Wikipedia's article - Adherens junction
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