Journal of Biochemistry Research

Cell Adhesion Scholarly Open Access Journals

Like cells adhesion is a prime feature of many tissue architecture. For example, a sheet of absorptive epithelial cells forms the small intestine lining, and two cell thick sheets of hepatocytes make up a large part of the liver. A number of proteins on the cell surface mediate such homophilic adhesion between single type cells and heterophilic adhesion between different types of cells. Most CAMs are distributed uniformly along plasma membrane regions that are in contact with other cells, and the cytosol-facing domains of these proteins are usually connected to cytoskeleton elements. Adhesion molecules bind to each other with equilibrium affinities defined by the association and dissociation rates between them. Cell – cell adhesion determines tissue polarity and the physiological function of cells. There are five main classes of cadherins in CAMs, the superfamily of immunoglobulins, selectins, mucins, and integrins. Cell-cell adhesion involving cadherins and selectins is dependent on Ca2 + ions, whilst integrin and Ig-superfamily CAM interactions are not. To mediate cell-cell adhesion many cells use several different CAMs. The integrins mediate interactions with the cell-matrix while the other types of CAMs participate in cell-cell adhesion. Epithelial cells contain a continuous band of cadherin molecules , usually located just below the tight junction near the apical surface, connecting the lateral membranes of epithelial cells.     

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