Cadherin-Mediated Cell Adhesion: Mechanisms and Signaling in Tissue Development and Disease

Cadherins are a superfamily of transmembrane glycoproteins that play a crucial role in mediating cell-cell adhesion. This adhesion is fundamental to the proper formation and maintenance of tissues throughout development and throughout an organism's lifetime. Disruptions in cadherin-mediated cell adhesion are implicated in a wide range of developmental defects and diseases.

Mechanisms of Cadherin-Mediated Cell Adhesion

The mechanism of cadherin-mediated adhesion involves several key steps. Cadherins on adjacent cells bind to each other in a calcium-dependent manner, forming strong intercellular bonds. This interaction is regulated by a variety of factors including the type of cadherin expressed, the concentration of calcium ions, and the interaction with associated intracellular proteins. The cytoplasmic tails of cadherins interact with intracellular proteins, such as catenins, forming the cadherin-catenin complex. This complex links the cadherin adhesion receptors to the actin cytoskeleton, ultimately stabilizing cell-cell junctions and facilitating signal transduction pathways.

For further understanding of the role of catenins in cadherin function you might find this additional reading to be helpful: Role of Catenins. This detailed overview clarifies their critical functions in the cell adhesion complex. Understanding the diverse roles of cadherins is a crucial step toward understanding developmental biology in general. In particular, consider looking further into this research topic to better contextualize this work. Learning more about specific cadherin types Understanding Cadherin Diversity.

Signaling Pathways Involved

Cadherin adhesion is not just a passive process of mechanical linking cells together; it actively participates in complex cellular signaling pathways. These pathways influence a range of cellular functions, including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. The precise pathways activated can vary depending on several contextual factors, including cellular environment and types of cells in interaction. Cadherin signaling pathway overview describes this in detail. This pathway is highly relevant, showing many connections between seemingly distant fields.

Cadherins in Tissue Development

The importance of cadherins in development can be readily understood in cases of faulty expression, for example during early embryonic development where cadherins establish the basic tissue architectures which support the formation of complex organ systems and maintaining cellular organization of the many types of tissues in higher organisms. Disruptions of cadherin function result in severely abnormal morphogenesis and often embryo lethality.

Cadherins in Disease

Dysregulation of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion is involved in numerous human diseases. In the realm of oncology, loss of cadherin function has a key role in malignant transformation including reduced cell-cell adhesion, promoting metastasis and tumor growth, and it frequently becomes part of an important area of medical research. Understanding of cadherin function also becomes essential for the study of genetic disease such as, Disease associated with cadherin expression.

For further reading, you may consult a related topic on the NIH website.