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Cell–cell Interaction
Cell–cell interaction refers to the direct interactions between cell surfaces that play a crucial role in the development and function of multicellular organisms. These interactions allow cells to communicate with each other in response to changes in their microenvironment. This ability to send and receive signals is essential for the survival of the cell. Interactions between cells can be stable such as those made through cell junctions. These junctions are involved in the communication and organization of cells within a particular tissue. Others are transient or temporary such as those between cells of the immune system or the interactions involved in tissue inflammation. These types of intercellular interactions are distinguished from other types such as those between cells and the extracellular matrix. The loss of communication between cells can result in uncontrollable cell growth and cancer. Stable interactions Stable cell-cell interactions are required for cell adhesion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cell (biology)
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life forms. Every cell consists of a cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, and contains many biomolecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA, as well as many small molecules of nutrients and metabolites.Cell Movements and the Shaping of the Vertebrate Body in Chapter 21 of Molecular Biology of the Cell '' fourth edition, edited by Bruce Alberts (2002) published by Garland Science. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos. It is also common to describe small molecules such as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
JAM2
Junctional adhesion molecule B is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''JAM2'' gene. JAM2 has also been designated as CD322 (cluster of differentiation 322). Function Tight junctions represent one mode of cell-to-cell adhesion in endothelial cell sheets, forming continuous seals around cells and serving as a physical barrier to prevent solutes and water from passing freely through the paracellular space. The protein encoded by this immunoglobulin superfamily gene member is localized in the tight junctions between high endothelial cells. It acts as an adhesive ligand for interacting with a variety of immune cell types and may play a role in lymphocyte homing to secondary lymphoid organs. It is purported to promote lymphocyte transendothelial migration. It might also be involved with endothelial cell polarity, by associating to cell polarity protein PAR-3, together with JAM3. Interactions JAM2 has been shown to interact with PARD3. It also interacts with the integr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paracrine
Paracrine signaling is a form of cell signaling, a type of cellular communication in which a cell produces a signal to induce changes in nearby cells, altering the behaviour of those cells. Signaling molecules known as paracrine factors diffuse over a relatively short distance (local action), as opposed to cell signaling by endocrine factors, hormones which travel considerably longer distances via the circulatory system; juxtacrine interactions; and autocrine signaling. Cells that produce paracrine factors secrete them into the immediate extracellular environment. Factors then travel to nearby cells in which the gradient of factor received determines the outcome. However, the exact distance that paracrine factors can travel is not certain. Although paracrine signaling elicits a diverse array of responses in the induced cells, most paracrine factors utilize a relatively streamlined set of receptors and pathways. In fact, different organs in the body - even between different spec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry and pharmacology, receptors are chemical structures, composed of protein, that receive and transduce signals that may be integrated into biological systems. These signals are typically chemical messengers which bind to a receptor and cause some form of cellular/tissue response, e.g. a change in the electrical activity of a cell. There are three main ways the action of the receptor can be classified: relay of signal, amplification, or integration. Relaying sends the signal onward, amplification increases the effect of a single ligand, and integration allows the signal to be incorporated into another biochemical pathway. Receptor proteins can be classified by their location. Transmembrane receptors include ligand-gated ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, and enzyme-linked hormone receptors. Intracellular receptors are those found inside the cell, and include cytoplasmic receptors and nuclear receptors. A molecule that binds to a receptor is called a ligand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Connexin
Connexins (Cx)TC# 1.A.24, or gap junction proteins, are structurally related transmembrane proteins that assemble to form vertebrate gap junctions. An entirely different family of proteins, the innexins, form gap junctions in invertebrates. Each gap junction is composed of two hemichannels, or connexons, which consist of homo- or heterohexameric arrays of connexins, and the connexon in one plasma membrane docks end-to-end with a connexon in the membrane of a closely opposed cell. The hemichannel is made of six connexin subunits, each of which consist of four transmembrane segments. Gap junctions are essential for many physiological processes, such as the coordinated depolarization of cardiac muscle, proper embryonic development, and the conducted response in microvasculature. Connexins also have non-channel dependant functions relating to cytoskeleton and cell migration. For these reasons, mutations in connexin-encoding genes can lead to functional and developmental abnormalities. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vertebrates
Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, with currently about 69,963 species described. Vertebrates comprise such groups as the following: * jawless fish, which include hagfish and lampreys * jawed vertebrates, which include: ** cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays, and ratfish) ** bony vertebrates, which include: *** ray-fins (the majority of living bony fish) *** lobe-fins, which include: **** coelacanths and lungfish **** tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) Extant vertebrates range in size from the frog species ''Paedophryne amauensis'', at as little as , to the blue whale, at up to . Vertebrates make up less than five percent of all described animal species; the rest are invertebrates, which lack vertebral columns. The vertebrates traditionally include the hagfish, which do no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gap Junctions
Gap junctions are specialized intercellular connections between a multitude of animal cell-types. They directly connect the cytoplasm of two cells, which allows various molecules, ions and electrical impulses to directly pass through a regulated gate between cells. One gap junction channel is composed of two protein hexamers (or hemichannels) called connexons in vertebrates and innexons in invertebrates. The hemichannel pair connect across the intercellular space bridging the gap between two cells. Gap junctions are analogous to the plasmodesmata that join plant cells. Gap junctions occur in virtually all tissues of the body, with the exception of adult fully developed skeletal muscle and mobile cell types such as sperm or erythrocytes. Gap junctions are not found in simpler organisms such as sponges and slime molds. A gap junction may also be called a ''nexus'' or ''macula communicans''. While an ephapse has some similarities to a gap junction, by modern definition the tw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plakin
A plakin is a protein that associates with junctional complexes and the cytoskeleton. Types include desmoplakin, envoplakin, periplakin, plectin, bullous pemphigoid antigen 1, corneodesmosin Corneodesmosin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''CDSN'' gene. This gene encodes a protein found in corneodesmosomes, which localize to the human epidermis and other cornified squamous epithelia. During maturation of the cornified lay ..., and microtubule actin cross-linking factor. References Protein families {{protein-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desmocollin
Desmocollins are a subfamily of desmosomal cadherins, the transmembrane constituents of desmosomes. They are co-expressed with desmogleins to link adjacent cells by extracellular adhesion. There are seven desmosomal cadherins in humans, three desmocollins and four desmogleins. Desmosomal cadherins allow desmosomes to contribute to the integrity of tissue structure in multicellular living organisms. Structure Three isoforms of desmocollin proteins have been identified. * Desmocollin-1, coded by the DSC1 gene * Desmocollin-2, coded by the DSC2 gene * Desmocollin-3, coded by the DSC3 gene Each desmocollin gene encodes a pair of proteins: a longer 'a' form and a shorter 'b' form. The 'a' and 'b' forms differ in the length of their C-terminus tails. The protein pair is generated by alternative splicing. Desmocollin has four cadherin-like extracellular domains, an extracellular anchor domain, and an intracellular anchor domain. Additionally, the 'a' form has an intracellular cad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desmoglein
The desmogleins are a family of desmosomal cadherins consisting of proteins DSG1, DSG2, DSG3, and DSG4. They play a role in the formation of desmosomes that join cells to one another. Pathology Desmogleins are targeted in the autoimmune disease pemphigus. Desmoglein proteins are a type of cadherin, which is a transmembrane protein A transmembrane protein (TP) is a type of integral membrane protein that spans the entirety of the cell membrane. Many transmembrane proteins function as gateways to permit the transport of specific substances across the membrane. They frequent ... that binds with other cadherins to form junctions known as desmosomes between cells. These desmoglein proteins thus hold cells together, but, when the body starts producing antibodies against desmoglein, these junctions break down, and this results in subsequent blister or vesicle formation.Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL, Schaffer JV, editors. Dermatology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders; 2012 Re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
E-cadherin
Cadherin-1 or Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), (not to be confused with the APC/C activator protein CDH1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''CDH1'' gene. Mutations are correlated with gastric, breast, colorectal, thyroid, and ovarian cancers. CDH1 has also been designated as CD324 (cluster of differentiation 324). It is a tumor suppressor gene. History The discovery of cadherin cell-cell adhesion proteins is attributed to Masatoshi Takeichi, whose experience with adhering epithelial cells began in 1966. His work originally began by studying lens differentiation in chicken embryos at Nagoya University, where he explored how retinal cells regulate lens fiber differentiation. To do this, Takeichi initially collected media that had previously cultured neural retina cells (CM) and suspended lens epithelial cells in it. He observed that cells suspended in the CM media had delayed attachment compared to cells in his regular medium. His interest in cell adherence was sparke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cadherin
Cadherins (named for "calcium-dependent adhesion") are a type of cell adhesion molecule (CAM) that is important in the formation of adherens junctions to allow cells to adhere to each other . Cadherins are a class of type-1 transmembrane proteins, and they are dependent on calcium (Ca2+) ions to function, hence their name. Cell-cell adhesion is mediated by extracellular cadherin domains, whereas the intracellular cytoplasmic tail associates with numerous adaptors and signaling proteins, collectively referred to as the cadherin adhesome. The cadherin family is essential in maintaining the cell-cell contact and regulating cytoskeletal complexes. The cadherin superfamily includes cadherins, protocadherins, desmogleins, desmocollins, and more. In structure, they share ''cadherin repeats'', which are the extracellular Ca2+-binding domains. There are multiple classes of cadherin molecules, each designated with a prefix (in general, noting the types of tissue with which it is associated). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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