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Mnemonics, Simplified Concepts & Thoughts

intercellular junctions

Cell-Cell or Interceullular Junctions

Epomedicine, May 22, 2019May 22, 2019

Last updated on May 22, 2019

Intercellular junction
JunctionLocationCompositionFunctionRemarks
Tight junction (Zonula occludens)Epithelial cell-Epithelial cellClaudin and Occludin (attaches to cytoskeleton – actin filament)Prevents paracellular movement of solutes and diffusion
Adherens junction (Zonula adherens)Epithelial cell-Epithelial cellE-cadherin (attaches to cytoskeleton – actin filament)Belt desmosome (Anchoring)Cadherins are Ca2+ depndend adhesion proteins

Loss of E-cadherin promotes metastasis
DesmosomeEpithelial cell-Epithelial cellCadherins – Desmoglein, Desmocollin and Desmoplakin (attaches to cytoskeleton – intermediate filaments)Desmoglein – connects keratinocytes in Stratum spinosum

Structural support
Autoantibody to:

1. Desmoglein-1: Pemphigus foliaceous (only skin lesion)

2. Desmogelin-1 (skin) and/or Desmoglein-3 (mucosal): Pemphigus vulgaris
Gap junctionEpithelial cell-Epithelial cellConnexonsElectrical and chemical communicationConnexin-43 are the main gap-junction proteins in myocardium and myometrium
HemidesmosomeEpithelial cell-Basement membraneIntegrins (attaches to laminim or fibronectin and type IV collagen)Integrity of basolateral membraneAutoantibodies to hemidesmosome (BP-Ag1 and BP-Ag2): Bullous pemphigoid
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PGMEE, MRCS, USMLE, MBBS, MD/MS DermatologyGeneral conceptsPhysiology

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Epomedicine. Cell-Cell or Interceullular Junctions [Internet]. Epomedicine; 2019 May 22 [cited 2025 May 9]. Available from: https://epomedicine.com/medical-students/cell-cell-or-interceullular-junctions/.

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