Molecular Basis of Cell-Cell Adhesion

Featuring:
Dr. Yamada
Johns Hopkins University

Location: CS 174

The spatial and functional organization of cells in tissues is determined by their interaction via cell-cell adhesion.  Cell-cell adhesion must be weakened during tissue morphogenesis in development to allow intercalation of cells, but strengthen as epithelial cells differentiate to form an interfacial barrier. Disruption of cadherin-based adherens junctions abrogates normal embryonic development, and is a common occurrence in metastatic cancer.

In this seminar, I will discuss the molecular basis of cell-cell adhesion mediated by cadherin adhesion molecules and the actin cytoskeleton. Our experiments reveal the linkage between cadherin complex and actin cytoskeleton is not static as previously assumed. Furthermore, our data show a-catenin, a protein thought to link the cadherin complex to actin cytoskeleton, has a new role in regulating local actin polymer dynamics and organization at cadherin-mediated cell-cell junctions.  These molecular descriptions of cell-cell adhesion are critical for assessing individual and collective cell behaviors in multicellular systems.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Yamada received a Ph.D. degree from the Chemical Engineering Department at Johns Hopkins University, and is currently a post-doctoral fellow in the Molecular and Cellular Physiology Department at Stanford University.  His research aims to understand complex cell movements in multicellular systems.