Cell adhesion and communication Flashcards
Tell me the common features of junction complexes
Common features of junction complexes
- Transmembrane adhesion proteins
- Intracellular link to cytoskeleton
- Extracellular link to outside structures
- Cadherin and Integrin superfamilies
- Cadherins mediate cell-cell attachments
- Integrins mediate cell-matrix attachments
- Some cadherins link to actin forming adherens junctions
- other cadherins link to intermediate filaments to form desmosome junctions
Name 4 things that help make a tight junction
Claudin
Junctional adhesion molecule (JAMs)
Occludin
ZO
What is a claudin?
A four-pass transmembrane protein (goes through the membrane 4 times) that constitutes TJ strands
Whats a junctional adhesion molecule (JAMs)?
A class of cell-cell adhesion molecules with two Ig repeats that localise to TJs
Whats an occludin?
A four pass transmembrane proteins localised at TJs
Whats a ZO?
A ZO is a Zonula-occluding family proteins: TJ- undercoating scaffolding proteins
What type of binding is present in tight junctions?
Homophilic binding is present in tight junctions
e.g. occludins to occludins e.g.
What are cadherins and where are they found?
What are they important for?
How can they exist?
Cadherins (cell-cell attachment)
- Proteins
- Found in all multicellular animals and Choanoflagellates
- Not present in plants, fungi, bacteria or archaea
- Important component of being an animal
- Can exist as free-living individual organisms or as a colony
Label the structure of a Choanoflagellates
What are cadherins thought to be part of?
What may the presence of them be important for?
They are thought to be part of the group of protists from which animals evolved
Presence of cadherin may have been important in this evolutionary process allowing multicellularity
What is the name of cadherins derived from?
Name derived from the face that they require Ca2+ to mediate cell-cell adhesion
This can be demonstrated in the image…
Tell me about the role of Ca2+ with cadherins
- Important during embryogenesis to stick cells together
- Loosely held together until the 8-cell stage – then compaction occurs, and cells become tightly adhered
- with cell junctions forming
- Add a chelating agent (EDTA) to remove Ca++ and cells can separate
- Reassembly when Ca++ is added back
What were the first cadherins identified and how were they named?
First cadherins identified were named based on the cell type they were discovered in
- N-cadherin – nerve cells
- E-cadherin – epithelia cells
- P-cadherin – placental cells
However not restricted to single types of cell e.g. N-cadherin also found in fibroblasts
Within a particular tissue there is diversity in the different cadherins present
Tell me the non-classical types of cadherins…
Phenotypes of cadherin defects
Tell be about binding between cadherins?
- Binding between individual cadherins is relatively weak and the bonds are parallel
- Strength comes from many such links close together (think of Velcro)
Why is Ca2+ important for cadherin function?
- Flexible hinge regions between the cadherin repeats
- Ca2+ binding to the hinge prevents it flexing
- Removal of Ca2+ also reduces binding affinity at N-terminus
- Destabilisation leads to proteolytic degradation
Tell me about the role that cadherins play in tissue organisation?
- Classic experiment from the 1950’s (Townes & Holtfreter J. Exp. Zool. 128: 53-120)
- Early amphibian embryo – mesoderm, neural plate and epidermal cells have been disaggregated and mixed
- The cells are able to arrange themselves according to cell type and assemble into structure
- Homophilic attachments between cadherins likely to be key in this reassembly
What do changes in cadherin expression help to regulate?
Neural tube development
What do catenins form a link between?
form a link between the intracellular cadherin domain and actin filament
What do catenins play a key role in?
Key role played by β catenin and/or γ catenin (plakoglobin)
What additional things to adheren junctions have?
- Adherens junctions have an additional related protein p120-catenin
- If the intracellular domain of cadherin is absent then cell adhesion is weakened
- The link to actin is important
Label this adherens junctions
What does Beta- catenin have an important role in ?
wingless/Wnt signalling
Tell me the dual role of beta- catenin
1) Intracellular anchor protein at adherens junctions
2) Transcriptional regulator in Wnt signalling
What does the breakdown of the adherens junction release?
Breakdown of adherens junction releases β-catenin to move from cytoplasm into the nucleus - there it can affect transcription
What does Wnt signalling regulate?
Wnt signalling regulates phosphorylation and degradation of β-catenin controlling its availability to form adherens junctions
Wnt signalling and cell adhesion is linked…
What happens in the absence of Wnt signalling?
What happens in the presence of Wnt?
What is vascular endothelial cadherin (VE Cadherin) required for?
- Vascular endothelial cadherin (VE Cadherin) is required for endothelial cell survival
- Required for the response to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
When VEGF binds to a receptor tyrosine kinase, what does it require?
VE cadherin as a cofactor
What do integrins function as and where are they embedded?
They function as a dimeric unit and are embedded in the plasma membrane
What domains do integrins have?
Intra and extracellular domain
What are integrains comprised of?
2 non-covalently associated glycoprotein subunits
Tell me the transmembrane proteins of the integrin?
- short intracellular C-terminal
- large extracellular N-terminal domain
What do the extracellular domain of the integrin bind?
Extracellular matrix proteins or cell surface ligands of other cells
Label this integrin…