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Cell Junctions Notes

Cell junctions are structures that allow direct physical contact between adjacent animal and plant cells, enabling communication. In plants, plasmodesmata are cytoplasmic channels that connect plant cell cytoplasm. In animals, tight junctions form barriers between cells, gap junctions allow exchange of molecules, and desmosomes strongly connect cells through attachment to cytoskeleton proteins.

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Cell Junctions Notes

Cell junctions are structures that allow direct physical contact between adjacent animal and plant cells, enabling communication. In plants, plasmodesmata are cytoplasmic channels that connect plant cell cytoplasm. In animals, tight junctions form barriers between cells, gap junctions allow exchange of molecules, and desmosomes strongly connect cells through attachment to cytoskeleton proteins.

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Cell Junctions: structures due to direct physical contact between adjacent cells in animals and

plants that frequently adhere, interact, and communicate


plant cells:
● plasmodesmata - cytoplasmic channels causing adjacent cells to have continuous
cytoplasm
animal cells (the following three types of cell junctions are especially common in
epithelial tissue, which lines internal and external surfaces of the body):
● tight junctions - cells are tightly bonded to form a barrier
● gap junctions - channels allowing adjacent cells to communicate & exchange molecules
● desmosomes - cells are connected by a strong mass of proteins

Plasmodesmata (singular: plasmodesma, from the Greek desmos, to bind)


● location: plant cell walls
● structure: membrane-lined channels filled with cytoplasm in the cell wall
○ a plant cell’s cell wall is perforated by membrane-lined channels (similar to pores)
○ cytosol passes through these channels in the cell wall of its own cell
○ then passes through the channels in the cell walls of neighboring cells
○ result: the internal chemical environments of these cells are connected through
the channels, called plasmodesmata
● function: cell communication - connects plant cells, therefore allowing material to pass
through different cells that are connected by their plasmodesmata
○ water and small solutes are able to pass freely
○ in specific situations, certain proteins and RNA molecules can also transfer
between cells connected by their plasmodesmata
○ macromolecules travel by fibers of the cytoskeleton to reach the plasmodesmata

Tight Junctions
● location: between plasma membranes of animal cells
● structure: the plasma membranes of adjacent cells are firmly bound with branching
proteins strands to form a barrier
○ around 40 different proteins make up these protein strands
○ four main types of proteins
■ transmembrane (adhesion and permeability)
■ scaffolding (organizes transmembrane proteins)
■ signaling (forms tight junction and regulates barrier)
■ regulation (regulates what proteins pass through the cell membrane in
vesicles)
○ two main types of proteins: claudins and occludins (both transmembrane)
■ claudins: important in forming tight junctions
■ occludins: keeps tight junctions stable and maintains barrier
● function:
○ barrier blocks molecules from passing across a layer of cells
■ gives cell greater control over what materials pass in and out
■ also maintains polarity of cells
○ holds cells together
■ branching protein strands in tight junctions links adjacent cells together so
tightly that a sheet is formed
■ these strands are connected to microfilaments, which is part of the cell’s
cytoskeleton
● examples:
○ skin cells are made watertight because tight junctions stop leakage between cells
in sweat glands
○ often found in epithelial cells

Desmosomes (a.k.a. anchoring junctions)


● location: arranged on the side of plasma membranes of animal cells
● structure: three components that collaborate to form a desmosome
○ 1. intermediate filaments (made out of study keratin proteins, secures the
junction in the cell since they’re part of the cytoskeleton)
○ 2. the bond between intermediate filaments and desmosomal adhesion
molecules (found in the cell)
○ 3. the bond provided by the desmosomal adhesion molecules (outside the cell)
○ the two proteins that bind cells at desmosomes: desmoglein and desmocollin
● function: attaches cells together, strong due to being connected to the cytoskeleton
● examples:
○ the epidermis (top layer of skin)
○ the myocardium (muscle tissue in the heart)
○ muscle cells
○ epithelial cells

Gap Junctions (a.k.a. communicating junctions)


● location: channels inside plasma membranes of animal cells
○ found between all cells directly touching other cells
○ exceptions: motile cells (ex. sperm cells and red blood cells)
● structure: cytoplasmic channels that connect cells
○ similar to the plasmodesmata of plants, but are not membrane-lined
○ made up of connexin proteins
○ six connexins form a connexon; two connexons form the channel
○ gap junction plaque: hundreds of channels at a gap junction
■ (plaque: mass of proteins)
● function: crucial for cell communication and transfer of molecules between cells
○ materials can travel directly to other cells rather than through extracellular fluid
● examples:
○ heart muscle
○ animal embryos

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