The Well- Connected Cell Text and image sources are included using the notes function of this file
Classes of cell-cell junctions typefunction tight junctionssealing anchoring junctionsstructural interconnection communicating junctions communication
Tight (Occluding) Junctions ZO-1 ZO-3 DNA Claudins Occludins JAMs Organizers Informants Sealers ß-catenin PTEN
Tight Junctions seal dense tracer
Tight Junction interactome
Anchoring junctions strengthen
I. Belt (Adherens) Junctions in cardiac muscle Cadherin CAMs
Belt Junctions back up tight junctions
The Adherens Junction Interactome The Adherens Junction interactome
Forging links GFP::actin
II. Desmosomal Junctions Cytokeratin Desmosomes (Plakoglobins anchor MFs)
A day in the life of an epithelium Desmocollin -GFP Imaged over a 24 hour period
III. Hemidesmosomes anchor IMF to ECM via integrin Heterodimers (18 alpha x 8 beta) ECM RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)
Loss of hemidesmosomal connections creates blistering diseases
IV. Focal Adhesion sites (FAds) link microfilaments to ECM
FAd interactome
Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) /VASp
FAds anchor stress fibers Actin-GFP and Vinculin
GFP::VASp localizes at FAds
Special Delivery? Microtubules target FAds GFP::tubulin and Ds-Red::zyxin FAds) GFP::CLIP-170 (+TIP) and Ds-Red::zyxin FAds)
Communicating Junctions GFP-Connexin-43 localizes at cell-cell contact points
Connexin hexamers form gap junctions fields 2nm
Gap junction fields Tightly- packed gap junctions
Gap junctions permit low MW molecules (<1kDa) to move between cells scrape
Gap junction interactome
AFM of gap junction field reveals the 6- fold symmetry of the connexion channel +Ca ++ -Ca ++ And a role for calcium in conductance regulation
Calcium Wave
Electrical coupling in engineered heart muscle tissue
Plasmodesmata The symplast refers to the linked protoplasmic network in plants
Plant cell lineages are linked in distinct symplastic routes