Cell Adhesion Flashcards
What is a inter cellular junction?
Protein complexes at specific sites of the cell membranes
Organized contacts of cells with one another involves?
Adhesion Define cellular domains Control permeability Intracellular signaling Intercellular communication/signal transmission
Organized contact between cells and extracellular matrix involves?
Anchoring
Intracellular signaling
What are the components of a inter-cellular junction
Transmembrane (adhesive portion)
Cytoplasmic (adapter portion)
Cytoskeletal filament
What are the two arrangements inter-cellular junctions can take?
Macula: patch like junction of limited content
Zonula: junction which encircles the entire cell
Junctional complex and Intercalated disc are examples of what?
Junctional combinations
What are the different types of junctions?
Gap junction (communicating) Tight junction (occluding, zonula occludens) Adherens Junction
Adherens juntions can be further divided into two more catagories. What are they
Cells attaching to other cells
Cells attaching to/anchoring in the extracellular matrix
Cells attaching to other cells involves?
Adhering juntion - zonula adherens
Desmosome - macula adherens
Cells anchoring to extracellular matrix involves?
Hemidesmosomes
Focal adhesions
What is a Gap junction?
Plaque like junction
Connects cell membranes neighboring cells close together; intercellular space only 2-3nm
Where can Gap junctions be found?
In all basic tissue types
Common in epithelial cells, smooth muscle, cardiac muscle cells, neuronal cells, and osteocytes
What is the intergral membrane protein for Gap junctions?
Connexin - different members of connexin family result in difference in permeability
What is a connexon?
connexins joining together to form a connexin hemichannel
- has to central channels (2nm)
What is a hydrophilic channel?
This is formed when one connexon of one cells connects to connexons in adjacent cells
How is a Gap junction formed?
alignment of ten to hundreds of connexon pairs hexagonally packed
What are the channels formed by Gap junctions?
Gap junctions form aqueous channels between cytoplasm of adjacent cells where passage of small signaling molecules and ions pass.
Connected cells are electrically coupled to coordinate response to stimuli
What is a tight junction?
Junctions that anastamose strands of adhesive transmembrane proteins
Linear series of contacts to proteins of adjacent cell
Intracellular spae obliterated at contact site
encircles the entire cell
Where are tight junctions typically found?
found close to the apical end of cuboidal or columnar epithelial cells
What are the transmembrane proteins for tight junction called?
They are members of the claudin family (4 pass membrane proteins)
Also occludin, junctional adhesive molecule
How do transmembrane adhesive molecules typically interact?
Interact homotypically with proteins in adjacent cell
Interact with some cytoplasmic proteins; kinases, transcription factors, cell polarity-related proteins
Which filament is associated with Tght junctions?
Actin
What is the functions of tight junctions?
They inhibit/control movement of ions and small molecules in intercellular space
Movement of membrane proteins is limited
Cell adhesion
The tightness (permiability) of a tight junction is based on?
Depends on the number of junctional strands, their completeness, and type of adhesive protein
What is a adherens junction?
hold cells together or attach/anchored to extracellular matrix
Intercellular space between attached cells: 20nm wide at location of adhesive junction
What are adhesive junctions are typically involved in?
intra - cellular signaling ( nuclear transcription, tumor suppression, differentiation)