Re-solving the Cadherin-Catenin-Actin Conundrum

Cell-cell adhesion plays critical roles in establishing and maintaining tissue architecture and function (1, 2). In these roles, cell-cell adhesion must be adaptable and (depending on the biological circumstance) weak, dynamic, or strong. Different adhesion structures (adherens junctions, tight junctions, desmosomes) regulate cell-cell adhesion, and each comprises distinct membrane-bound adhesion proteins that interact with the cytoskeleton.