Adherens junctions: new insight into assembly, modulation and function

Adherens junctions play pivotal roles in cell and tissue organization and patterning by mediating cell adhesion and cell signaling. These junctions consist of large multiprotein complexes that join the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane to form adhesive contacts between cells or between cells...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BioEssays 2002-08, Vol.24 (8), p.690-695
Main Author: Tepass, Ulrich
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adherens Junctions - chemistry
Adherens Junctions - physiology
Animals
Cell Adhesion
Cell Division
Cell Lineage
Drosophila
Extracellular Matrix - metabolism
Models, Biological
rap1 GTP-Binding Proteins - metabolism
Signal Transduction
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Summary:Adherens junctions play pivotal roles in cell and tissue organization and patterning by mediating cell adhesion and cell signaling. These junctions consist of large multiprotein complexes that join the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane to form adhesive contacts between cells or between cells and extracellular matrix. The best‐known adherens junction is the zonula adherens (ZA) that forms a belt surrounding the apical pole of epithelial cells. Recent studies in Drosophila have further illuminated the structure of adherens junctions. Scaffolding proteins encoded by the stardust gene are novel components of the Crumbs complex, which plays a critical role in ZA assembly.1–3 The small GTPase Rap1 controls the symmetric re‐assembly of the ZA after cell division.4 Finally, the asymmetric distribution of adherens junction material regulates spindle orientation during asymmetric cell division in the sensory organ lineage.5 BioEssays 24:690–695, 2002. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:0265-9247
1521-1878
DOI:10.1002/bies.10129