Cell-Cell or Interceullular Junctions

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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