Synonyms
Definition
Adhesion molecules are the protein molecules that are situated on the surface of the cells or the intracellular organelle.
Description
The adhesion molecules attach to adjacent cells and help with binding with these cells or extracellular structures. There are several functions described like transmitting the information (cellular signaling pathways) to communicate between cells and within the cells. The adhesion molecules usually share a common basic structure that they have extracellular and intracellular domains that are connected to transcellular domain. This facilitates their function to act as messenger across the cellular membrane on either side.
Adhesion molecules are classified based on the function, structure, and location. Cadherins, integrins, selectins, and immunoglobulin (Ig)-related cell adhesion molecules (CAMS) are four major types of adhesion molecules. Brief summary of these molecules are described below.
The cadherins are...
References and Further Reading
Fuster, V., Lois, F., & Franco, M. (2010). Early identification of atherosclerotic disease by noninvasive imaging. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 7(6), 327–333.
Gahmberg, C. G., Valmu, L., Kotovuori, A., Kotovuori, P., Hilden, T. J., Fagerholm, S., & Tian, L. (1999). Leukocyte adhesion-an integrated molecular process at the leukocyte plasma membrane. Bioscience Reports, 19(4), 273–281.
Gonzalez-Amaro, R., & Sanchez-Madrid, F. (1999). Cell adhesion molecules: Selectins and integrins. Critical Reviews in Immunology, 19(5–6), 389–429.
Worthylake, R. A., & Burridge, K. (2001). Leukocyte transendothelial migration: Orchestrating the underlying molecular machinery. Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 13(5), 569–577.
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Harlapur, M., Shimbo, D. (2019). Adhesion Molecules. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1254-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1254-2
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