AC Lecture 38-39: Intercellular architecture Flashcards
List the different types of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs).
cadherins
the Ig superfamily
integrins
selectins
How are CAMs used?
regulate cell migration, proliferation, and cell death
What are CAMs?
molecules that maintain adhesion between cells and other cells as well as between cells and their extra cellular matrix
What are the characteristics of cadherins?
homophelic
Ca2+ binding
bind actins and IF
What are the characteristics of integrins?
connect cells to extracellular matrix (heterophilic binding)
bind actins (except for alpha6beta4 interacts with IFs at hemidesmosomes)
cell matrix receptors that require Ca2+ or Mg2+ for ligand binding
What are the characteristics of selectins?
mediate Ca2+ dependent cell:cell adhesion in the bloodstream
mostly on immune cells
help cells find their way out of the blood stream
What are the functions of the ECM?
hold tissues together
provide cushioning (cartilage) and strength (tendons)
act as a reservoir for growth factors
Why do epithelial cells have a polarized cell organization?
divide different body cavities
provide barriers between the gut and the blood and the blood brain barrier
different functions (absorption of nutrients on one membrane and their secretion from another)
List the kinds of epithelial cells.
simple columnar (mucus secreting) simple squamous (found lining blood vessels) transitional (found in cavities subject to expansion such as bladder) stratified squamous (found in mouth and vagina linings acts to resist abrasion)
How do we describe the orientation of membranes?
apical (outer facing; typically have large surface area and villi)
lateral and basal (separated from the apical via specialized cell junctions)
What is “inside-out” signaling?
where intracellular events promote interactions between the cell and the ECM
What is “outside-in” signaling?
extracellular events (such as ligand binding) that cause interactions between the cell and the ECM
List the kinds of cell junctions in epithelial cells.
Tight junctions
anchoring junctions (adherens junctions
desmosomes)
What are tight junctions?
(occluding junctions)
seal epithelial cells together in sheets
prevents passage of small molecules between cells (allow for separation of body cavities)
separate the apical and basolateral surfaces
What are anchoring junctions?
join cells to each other and to ECM
can be adherens junctions or desmosomes
What are adherens junctions and desmosomes?
hold cells together and are formed by focal adhesions and hemidesmosomes (bind cells to ECM)
How do the two kinds of junctions differ?
types of protein that perform the anchoring functions and the cytoskeletal filament types that attach on the inside of the cell
focal adhesions: integrin proteins bind to ECM and attach to actin inside the cell
hemidesmosomes: intermediate filaments bind inside the cell
What are cadherins?
large glycoproteins that link by a homophilic mechanism
linc to actin cytoskeleton via catenins (adapter proteins)