An adherens junction is defined as a cell junction whose cytoplasmic face is linked to the actin cytoskeleton. They can appear as bands encircling the cell (zonula adherens) or as spots of attachment to the extracellular matrix (focal adhesion).

Adherens juctions and Tight junctions comprise two modes of cell-cell adhesion that provide different functions. Both junctional complexes are proposed to associate with the actin cytoskeleton, and formation and maturation of cell-cell contacts involves reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.

adhering junction;adherens junction;zonula adherens 定 义 上皮细胞间或上皮细胞与细胞外基质间的连接结构。胞质面连接有肌动蛋白丝或中间丝。根据连接中所涉及的细胞外基质和细胞骨架的关系分为桥粒、半桥粒、黏着带和黏着斑4种类型。 应用学科

For an adhesive junction to be formed, the interacting surfaces must be in intimate contact. The strength of these junctions depends to a great extent on the physico–chemical nature of the contacting surfaces. A number of well-defined steps leading to the formation of adhesive-wear particles can be identified: Figure 2.7.

半桥粒即半个点状桥粒，位于上皮细胞的基底部，其作用是将上皮细胞铆在基底膜上，防止机械力造成细胞与基底膜脱离，在体外培养的细胞也常通过半桥粒将细胞固定于生长基质。 用 胰蛋白酶 、EDTA等处理可破坏粘合连接，使细胞分离。 粘合连接即指桥粒，为相邻细胞连系的一种方式。 按其形态的不同，可分为点状、带状和半桥粒三种。 广泛存在于各种上皮细胞，主要起机械支持作用，使细胞群连成一个整体以行使其功能。

圖爲以鈣黏蛋白爲核心的黏著小帶的結構蛋白之間的主要相互作用。 黏著小帶 （Adherens junction/zonula adherens），亦稱「中間連接」（intermediate junction），係一種 上皮細胞 之間的連接結構 [1][2]。 該結構多位於閉鎖小帶下方，環繞上皮細胞頂部。 該結構中間有15-20納米寬的縫隙。 一種叫 鈣粘蛋白 的跨膜細胞黏附蛋白質爲該結構的核心。 鈣粘蛋白的細胞內部分與 微絲 相連，形成 終末網 （terminal web）結構 [3][4][2]。 黏著小帶主要發揮黏著作用。 另外，此 …

Adherens junctions preserve tissue integrity by linking cells and connecting to actin filaments, but they also interact with microtubules and polarity regulators. The adherens junction (AJ) is a form of cell–cell adhesion structure observed in a variety of …

2014年1月2日 · 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.

2007年11月1日 · The adherens junction consists of two basic adhesive units: the nectin–afadin complex and the classical cadherin–catenin complex (Figure 1). Both nectins and cadherins are multimember families and the cell-specific expression of cadherins and nectins ultimately determine the strength and adhesive specificity of the adherens junctions.

Adherens junctions (AJs) are cell–cell adhesion complexes that make important contributions to embryogenesis and tissue homeostasis 1, 2, 3. AJs were initially characterized ultrastructurally...