Mechanosignaling

What are adherens junctions?

Adherens junctions (AJs) are cell-cell adhesion complexes that are continuously assembled and disassembled, allowing cells within a tissue to respond to forces, biochemical signals and structural changes in their microenvironment. The events leading up to adherens junction formation are still not entirely clear, but they ultimately result in the recruitment of transmembrane cadherins, catenins (beta-catenins, alpha-catenins)and cytoskeletal adaptor proteins that form the primary architecture of adherens junctions.

The formation and function of the adherens junction can be described over defined steps including initiation, cadherin recruitment and the recruitment of plaque proteins. Adherens junction assembly occurs in a variety of contexts, such as during development when migrating cells first encounter each other to form a tissue, as well as in pre-existing tissues when cells divide, change shape or move in response to biochemical or mechanical stimuli. A large body of work has investigated adherens junction initiation during embryonic morphogenesis and in cell culture when migrating cells first contact each other. It is important to note that AJs form and disassemble throughout life, not only during development, and this turnover is vital to the homeostasis of epithelial tissues.