Abstract
Proper cell-cell adhesion and communication are essential for normal development and are often perturbed during tumor formation. We have come to realize that cell-cell junctions not only mediate intercellular adhesion, but also serve as organizing centers for specific cell-cell signaling pathways. The characterization of protein components of adhesive and tight/septate junctions in vertebrates and Drosophila is reviewed, and their roles in adhesion and signaling discussed. Many molecules that mediate intercellular signaling, including certain tumor suppressor gene products, are localized to particular cell-cell junctions, suggesting that disruption of junctional signaling pathways contributes to tumorigenesis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 56-65 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Current Opinion in Genetics and Development |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1995 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank all our colleagues who generously shared recent data and apologize to those whose data was referenced via reviews or left out due to space constraints and the focus on work the past year. Work in our Jab is supported by the NIH, March of Dimes, the Searle Scholars Program.