Cell Junctions

Dr. Sara Mukhtar

 Learning objectives
• At the end of 45 minutes session, 1st year
BDS students should be able to:
• Relate the function of cell junction with its
location
• Classify cell junctions
 Cell surroundings:
• Each cell is surrounded by extracellular
space.

• In epithelium & other closely packed

tissues, intercellular gap is only 20 nm.
 Cell Junctions
• A cell junction (or intercellular bridge) is
a type of structure that exists within the
tissue of some multicellular organisms,
such as animals.
• Cell junctions consist of multiprotein
complexes that provide contact between
neighboring cells or between a cell and
the extracellular matrix.
 Forces holding the cells:
1) Mutual force of cohesion.

2) Cell junctions: specialized structural

arrangements present at various sites.
 Cell Junctions:
Factors responsible for the basis of classification
Shape & extent of contact area: Relative closeness & nature of cell
contact:
1) Limited extent:
e.g., MACULA (spot / punctate 1) No intercellular space, cell
area) membranes in contact / fused:
e.g., OCCLUDENS.
2) Around entire cell:
e.g., ZONULA (belt / girdle like) 2) Intercellular space is 20-25 nm
wide & dense granular material in
intercellular space & on
cytoplasmic surfaces of adjacent
cell membranes:
e.g., ADHERENS.

3) Very narrow intercellular space =

3nm:
e.g., GAP junctions.
 4 Types of Cell Junctions:
1) Macula Adherens (Desmosome or Spot
Desmosome).

2) Zonula Adherens (Belt Desmosome).

3) Zonula Occludens (Tight Junction).

4) Gap Junction (Nexus).

 Junqueira’s histology:
3 cells of intestinal epithelium shown
• In the zonula occludens the
outer laminae of apposed
membranes fuse.

• Both the zonula occludens and

zonula adherens form a
continuous ribbon around the
cell apex.

• the desmosomes and gap

junctions are spotlike plaques.

• Infoldings of the membrane

and microvilli amplify the
membrane area and increase
exchanges across the
membrane and adhesion
between cells.
Intermediate Filaments.flv
 1. Macula Adherens:
(Desmosome or Spot Desmosome)
• Location: Between epithelial
cells, on lateral cell interfaces
with their long axes
perpendicular to basement
membrane of epithelium.

• Shape: Small discoid

structures.

• Intercellular gap: 25 nm

• Adhesive glycoprotein:
Desmocollin

• Intra-cytoplasmic densities:
Attachment plaques beneath
plasma membranes of adjacent
cells.

• Intermediate filaments: Are

inserted into attachment plaque
or make hairpin loops & turn
back into cytoplasm.
 Hemi-desmosomes:
• Location: between certain
epithelial cells & basal
lamina.

• Shape: like half a

desmosome on epithelial
plasma membrane only.
Sometimes basal lamina
facing the hemi-
desmosome is thickened.

• Function: To bind the

epithelial cells to basal
lamina.
 2. Zonula Adherens:
(Belt Desmosome)
• Arrangement: as a girdle / belt
around each cell that is joined.

• Intercellular gap: Normal width

(20 nm).

• Bridging of gap: No bridge of

filaments, though filaments &
submembrane cytoplasmic
densities are present.

• Location: among epithelial

cells, fibroblasts & smooth
muscle cells.
 3. Zonula Occludens:
(Tight Junction)
• Arrangement: like a girdle.

• Intercellular gap: No gap due

to apparent fusion of plasma
membranes of adjacent cells.

• Location: intestinal mucosa &

urinary bladder mucosa.

• Function: important sealing

effect (prevent the change in
chemical composition of urine).
 4. Gap Junction (Nexus)
• Intercellular gap: 2-3 nm only. It is
traversed by hollow tube-like structures.

• Function: permeable to colloidal

substances without entering the ECF .
Provide communication channels
between adjacent cells. Also role in
spread of electric impulse from one cell
(smooth / cardiac cell) to another.

• Desmosomes Vs Nexus:
Nexus usually form limited attachment
plaques like
desmosomes, but sometimes more
extensive.

• Connexons: hexagonal arrays of

protein units. Six subunits surrounding a
channel.

• Regulators of diameter of channels:

Increase in Ca2+ concentration causes
the subunits to slide together, reducing
the diameter of the channel.
Diameter may also be regulated by pH
and voltage
Gap junction: Fig: 1-13 Ganong
• Each connexon is made
up of six subunits.

• Each connexon in the

membrane of one cell
lines up with a connexon
in the membrane of the
neighboring cell 

forming a channel
through which 

substances can pass

from one cell to another
without entering the ECF.
Functions of cell junctions
 Specialized Cell Junctions

Desmosomes Gap junctions Tight junctions

• Act like “spot rivets” that anchor two • Small connecting tunnels formed by • Firmly bond adjacent cells together
closely adjacent nontouching cells connexons • Seal off the passageway between the
• Most abundant in tissues that are • Especially abundant in cardiac and two cells
subject to considerable stretching smooth muscle
• Found primarily in sheets of epithelial
• In nonmuscle tissues permit unrestricted tissue
passage of small nutrient molecules
between cells • Prevent undesirable leaks within
• Also serve as method for direct transfer epithelial sheets
of small signaling molecules from one
cell to the next
 4. Gap Junction (Nexus)
Location: widely distributed in the body, e.g.,

• Cardiac & smooth muscles,

• Liver, kidney, thyroid, pancreas, adrenals,

• Urinary bladder,

• Nervous system (between neurons & between glial

cells),

• Skin.
 Junctional Complex:
• Series of cell junctions
between adjacent
epithelial cells =
junctional complex.

• Location: small
intestinal mucosa.

Comprises of:
• Zonula occludens +
zonula adherens +
macula adherens.