Intercellular Junction and
Communication
Dr. Shiva Upadhaya
MBBS, MD
Clinical Physiology
Objectives:
• To describe about intercellular junctions and
communication.
Intercellular Junctions
• Junction formed between the cell are called
intercellular junction.
• Types:
A) junctions that tie cells together.
1) Tight junctions.
2) Anchoring junctions.
a) Cell to cell anchoring junction.
-Desmosome.
-Zonula adherens.
Intercellular Junctions
b) Cell to basal lamina anchoring junctions.
-Hemidesmosome.
-Focal adhesion.
B)Junctions that allow transfer of ions and small
molecules:
1) Gap junctions.
Tight Junctions
• Tight junctions are commonly found in
epithelium of GI tract, nephrons, urinary tract,
hepatobiliary tract and choroid plexus.
• Located towards apical
region of cells.
Tight Junctions
• At tight junctions, outer layer of cell membrane of
neighboring cells fuse with each other that
obliterates the intercellular space close to their
apical margin.
• They form the barrier for transport of solute and
solvent from lumen into interstitial space and
between cells.
• Membrane proteins that contribute to formation of
tight junction belong to three families: occludin,
claudins and junctional adhesion molecules.
Desmosomes
• They are the junctions characterized by focal
thickening of two adjacent cell membrane.
• Thickened area is presence of dense layer of
proteins on the cytoplasmic surface of
membrane.
Zonula Adherens
• Located below the base of tight junctions.
• Major site of attachment for intracellular
microfilaments.
• Cadherins are present in intercellular junction.
Hemidesmosomes
• Look like half of desmosomes.
• Microfilaments are attached to it
intracellularly.
• Laminar-cellular space between two
membrane containing filamentous cell
adhesion called as integrins.
Focal Adhesions
• It connect cell to basal lamina.
• Intracellularly, they are associated with actin
filaments so they assist in cell movements.
Gap Junction
• It is made up of special transmembrane
protein-connexons.
Gap Junctions
• Gap junctions are clusters of intercellular channels that allow
direct diffusion of ions and small molecules between adjacent
cells.
• At gap junctions, the intercellular space narrows from 25 nm
to 3 nm.
• The functional unit of the gap junction is the connexon.
• A connexon is composed of six integral membrane protein
subunits called connexins.
• Gap junctions were first discovered in myocardium and nerve
because of their properties of electrical transmission between
adjacent cells (Weidmann 1952; Furshpan and Potter 1957).
Gap Junctions
• Functions:
-Electrical synapses.
-Permit passage of organic solute such as
sugar and aminoacids.
-Chemical messengers and hormones are also
exchanged between cell through gap junction.
Intercellular communications
• Intercellular communication refers to the transfer of
information from one cell to another.
• It is also called cell signaling .
• The cells of the body communicate with each other
through some chemical substances called chemical
messengers.
• The cell which releases signaling molecules is called the
signaling cell.
• The cell which responds to the signaling molecules is called
the target cell.
Intercellular Communication
Thank You
