Adherens junction
Protein complexes at cell junctions
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Through Cell biology, Epithelium and Cytoskeleton
Adherens junctions uniquely disassemble in uterine epithelial cells to allow the blastocyst to penetrate between epithelial cells.
A similar cell junction in non-epithelial, non-endothelial cells is the fascia adherens. It is structurally the same, but appears in ribbonlike patterns that do not completely encircle the cells. One example is in cardiomyocytes.
Proteins
Adherens junctions are composed of the following proteins:
- cadherins. The cadherins are a family of transmembrane proteins that form homodimers in a calcium-dependent manner with other cadherin molecules on adjacent cells.
- p120 (sometimes called delta catenin) binds the juxtamembrane region of the cadherin.
- γ-catenin or gamma-catenin (plakoglobin) binds the catenin-binding region of the cadherin.
- α-catenin or alpha-catenin binds the cadherin indirectly via β-catenin or plakoglobin and links the actin cytoskeleton with cadherin. Significant protein dynamics are thought to be involved.
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Models
Adherens junctions were, for many years, thought to share the characteristic of anchor cells through their cytoplasmic actin filaments.
Adherens junctions may serve as a regulatory module to maintain the actin contractile ring with which it is associated in microscopic studies.