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Review
. 2014 Jan 2:6:1.
doi: 10.12703/P6-1. eCollection 2014.

Epithelial adhesive junctions

Affiliations
Review

Epithelial adhesive junctions

Christopher T Capaldo et al. F1000Prime Rep. .

Abstract

Epithelial adhesive cell-to-cell contacts contain large, plasma membrane-spanning multiprotein aggregates that perform vital structural and signaling functions. Three prominent adhesive contacts are the tight junction, adherens junction, and the desmosome. Each junction type has unique cellular functions and a complex molecular composition. In this review, we comment on recent and exciting advances in our understanding of junction composition and function.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Epithelial cell-cell junctions
Adhesive contacts are shown as a tight junction (TJ), adherens junction (AJ), and desmosome (D). Each contact consists of transmembrane, cytosolic plaque, and cytoskeletal constituents.

References

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