Northwestern Medicine uncovers cell communication mechanisms

Researchers at Northwestern Medicine have made new discoveries about how cells stick together and communicate. Their study, published in Nature Communications, focuses on a type of "glue" known as E-cadherin that helps cells connect. Cells in tissues can fuse their structures to share information and materials. This process involves structures called adherens junctions, which are vital for tissue growth and repair. However, the details of how these junctions work are not well understood. Professor Sergey Troyanovsky, who led the study, explained that they investigated how cells initially contact each other and form connections. They used special cell lines to observe early interactions between the cytoskeleton and E-cadherin. The study revealed that before cells connect fully, they form small attachment points known as "pre-junctions" on their surfaces. These pre-junctions mature into complete adherens junctions when cells make contact. The researchers found that the protein alpha-catenin is crucial for this process, as it helps form the pre-junctions. These findings could improve our understanding of diseases linked to cell communication issues. For instance, problems with cell connections are associated with skin conditions like eczema and various cancers. Moving forward, Troyanovsky and his team plan to explore how different types of junctions form. He noted that while this study identified one way cells connect, there may be other methods for forming these important structures.