Cell–cell junctions organize structural and signaling networks

Abstract

Cell–cell junctions link cells to each other in tissues, and regulate tissue homeostasis in critical cell processes that include tissue barrier function, cell proliferation, and migration. Defects in cell–cell junctions give rise to a wide range of tissue abnormalities that disrupt homeostasis and are common in genetic abnormalities and cancers. Here, we discuss the organization and function of cell–cell junctions primarily involved in adhesion (tight junction, adherens junction, and desmosomes) in two different epithelial tissues: a simple epithelium (intestine) and a stratified epithelium (epidermis). Studies in these tissues reveal similarities and differences in the organization and functions of different cell–cell junctions that meet the requirements for the specialized functions of each tissue. We discuss cell–cell junction responses to genetic and environmental perturbations that provide further insights into their roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis.