title: Molecular interactions in cell adhesion complexes.
abstract: Cell adhesions consist of multimolecular protein complexes of transmembrane adhesion receptors anchoring intracellular cytoskeletal structural proteins and signal transduction molecules. Recent advances reveal that components of cell adhesion complexes display multiple interactions and functions, which cooperate to mediate both cell adhesion and signaling. Cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesions can serve as both recipients and generators of signaling information, using hierarchical and synergistic molecular interactions regulated by aggregation, conformational changes, phosphorylation, and tension.
authors.affiliation: Craniofacial Developmental Biology and Regeneration Branch, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Building 30, Room 421, 30 Convent Drive, MSC 4370, Bethesda MD 20892-4370, USA. ky4w@nih.gov
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geiger
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules