BI110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Adherens Junction, Tight Junction, Intermediate Filament
Document Summary
Cancer cells typically lose these adhesions, allowing them to break loose and migrate to new locations: cell junctions. Reinforce cell adhesions and provide avenues of communication a) anchoring junctions. Most common in tissues that are subject to stretching, shear, or other mechanical forces. Form button-like spots, or belts, that run entirely around cells, welding adjacent cells together. Anchoring junctions with intermediate filaments that anchor the junction in underlying cytoplasm adherens junctions. Anchoring junctions with microfilaments as the anchoring cytoskeletal component: b) tight junctions. Regions of tight connections between membranes of adjacent cells. Seal spaces between cells in cell layers that cover internal organs, outer surface of the body, or layers that line internal cavities and ducts. Formed by direct fusion of proteins on the outer surfaces of plasma membranes of adjacent cells: c) gap functions. Open direct channels that allow ions and small molecules to pass directly from one cell to another.
