Organization and signaling of endothelial cell-to-cell junctions in various regions of the blood and lymphatic vascular trees |
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Authors: | Elisabetta Dejana Fabrizio Orsenigo Cinzia Molendini Peter Baluk Donald M McDonald |
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Institution: | (1) IFOM , FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Via Adamello 16, 20139 Milan, Italy;(2) Department of Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnologies, School of Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy;(3) Department of Anatomy, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, USA |
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Abstract: | Adhesive intercellular junctions between endothelial cells are formed by tight junctions and adherens junctions. In addition
to promoting cell-to-cell adhesion, these structures regulate paracellular permeability, contact inhibition of endothelial
cell growth, cell survival, and maintenance of cell polarity. Furthermore, adherens junctions are required for the correct
organization of new vessels during embryo development or during tissue proliferation in the adult. Extensive research on cultured
epithelial and endothelial cells has resulted in the identification of many molecular components of tight junctions and adherens
junctions. Such studies have revealed the complexity of these structures, which are formed by membrane-associated adhesion
proteins and a network of several intracellular signaling partners. This review focuses on the structural organization of
junctional structures and their functional interactions in the endothelium of blood vessels and lymphatics. We emphasize the
way that these structures regulate endothelial cell homeostasis by transferring specific intracellular signals and by modulating
activation and signaling of growth factor receptors.
This work was supported by the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Association for International Cancer Research,
European Community (Integrated Project Contract no. LSHG-CT-2004–503573; NoE MAIN 502935; NoE EVGN 503254; EUSTROKE consortium;
Angioscaff consortium; Optistem consortium), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italian Ministry of Health, MIUR (COFIN prot: 2006058482_002),
and Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network of Excellence (E.D.). Additional support came from US National Institutes of Health
grants HL24136 and HL59157 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and CA82923 from the National Cancer Institute
and AngelWorks Foundation (D.McD.). |
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Keywords: | Endothelial cells Intercellular junctions Adherens junctions Tight junctions |
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