Cellular Adhesion Flashcards
What are the 2 basic strategies for holding cells together
- Extracellular Matrix
2. Cytoskeleton strength/cell-cell adhesions (tie cytoskeletons of neighboring cells together)
Name 4 types of cellular junctions
- Tight Junction
- Adherens Junction
- Desmosome
- Gap Junction
What is the purpose of a gap junction?
To seal gaps between epithelial cells
What is the purpose of adherens junction?
To connect actin filament bundles in one cell to that in the adjacent cell
What is the purpose of the desmosome?
To connect intermediate filaments in one cell to that in the adjacent cel
What is the purpose of the gap junction?
To allow the passage of small water soluble molecules from cell to cell
What are the adhesion proteins for the adherens junction and desmosome called?
Cadherins
- Adherens junction has classical cadherins
- Desmosome has nonclassical cadherins
There are 2 anchoring junctions to connect the cell to the matrix, what are they? Also name the corresponding transmembrane adhesion protein.
- Actin-linked cell-matrix junction (Integrin)
2. Hemidesmosome (alpha/beta Integrin, XVII collagen)
What are the 4 types of adhesion molecules?
- Integrins
- Cadherins
- Selectins
- Immunoglobulins
What are the 3 types of nonclassical cadherins and on what cell types or body structures are they found?
- N-cadherin: nerve, muscle, and lens cells
- P-cadherin: placenta and epidermis
- E-cadherin: many types of epithelial cells
What are the 3 non-classical cadherins with adhesive properties and 1 with signalling function? Where are they found?
Adhesive Properties 1. Protocadherins: Brain 2. Desmocollins 3. Desmogleins (both form desmosome junctions) Signalling Function 1. T-cadherin: nerve and muscle cells
If there is a problem with either desmocollin or desmoglein where in the body will the phenotype be observed and what will be observed?
Blistering of the skin
Through what interactions do cadherins mediate cell to cell adhesion?
Homophillic interactions where specific cadherins on one cell bind to the same (or closely related) cadherins on a second cell
Describe the structure of the cadherin and the model by which they interact with one another.
Structure: N-terminal cadherin repeat, flexible hinge region, and a calcium binding motif
Model: Protein knob and pocket structure
Binding is low affinity
What 2 things does the spacing between cells depend on when anchoring is via cadherin?
- Type of cadherin expressed (some have different lengths)
2. Strength of interaction (the more cadherins the stronger the interaction)
Cadherins are transmembrane proteins that interact with other cadherins on their extracellular domain. What does their intracellular domain interact with?
Interacts with the cytoskeleton but indirectly because there are anchorage proteins that bridge the cadherin to the actin (if adherens junction) or intermediate filaments (if desmosome)
What is one of the most important anchorage proteins that interacts with cadherin and has been implicated in colon cancer?
Beta-catenin
Cadherins, when lost or dysfunctional, have been implicated in malignant and cancerous phenotype. What are 3 reasons for this? E-cadherin specifically has been noted in what 5 types of cancer?
Loss of cadherins
- Allows for easy disaggregation of cells
- Local invasion
- Distant metastasis
E-cadherin is associated with
- Esophagus
- Breast
- Colon
- Ovary
- Prostate
E-cadherin aside from somatic mutations is also associated with germ line mutations which can cause a person to be predisposed to what condition/disease?
Familial Gastric Carcinoma
Beta catenin aside from being an anchorage protein is also involved in what cellular process?
Cell cycle regulation: specifically it upregulates it, causing cell proliferation