Tension as Important Information for Signal Transduction at Cell-cell Adhesion

Abstract

The adherens junction (AJ) is a major cell-cell junction that mediates cell recognition, adhesion, morphogenesis, contractile function and tissue integrity. Although AJs transmit forces generated by actomyosin from one cell to another, AJs have long been considered as a site where signal transduction from cadherin ligation takes place through cell adhesion as seen with other conventional membrane receptors. Recent studies are unraveling the existence of mechanotransduction at AJs and its possible molecular mechanism in which α-catenin in the cadherin-catenin complex changes its conformation in a force-dependent manner. This mechanotransduction has advantages in that it can transmit more precise temporal, quantitative, and spatial information than signaling using diffusion of second messengers or phosphorylation cascades.