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Cell adhesion proteins help cells attach to one another or to the extracellular matrix surrounding them. These connections give tissues mechanical stability and can also influence cell signaling. Direct exchange between adjacent cells is a different job: gap junctions form channels that let small molecules and ions pass from cell to cell.
What cell adhesion proteins do
Cells do not stick indiscriminately. Cell-surface adhesion molecules bind particular partners, helping organize tissues and connect cells to their surroundings. The main families include cadherins, integrins, selectins, and immunoglobulin-superfamily adhesion molecules; they differ in what they bind and how their connections function. NCBI Bookshelf’s overview of cell-cell interactions and its chapter on cell-cell adhesion describe these families.
Many adhesion proteins do not connect directly to a cell’s internal framework. Anchor or adaptor proteins often bridge the cell-surface molecule to the cytoskeleton, helping make the connection durable and linking it to processes inside the cell.
How the main adhesion families work
Cadherins: cell-to-cell attachment
Cadherins help neighboring cells bind to one another. Their interactions are calcium-dependent, and effective adhesion relies on intracellular anchor proteins that connect cadherins to the cytoskeleton. In tissues, these linked contacts help cells remain organized under mechanical stress.
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Integrins: attachment to the extracellular matrix
Integrins bind components of the extracellular matrix outside the cell and connect, through intracellular proteins, to the cytoskeleton and signaling systems inside. At integrin-based adhesions, anchor proteins can include talin, alpha-actinin, filamin, and vinculin. These contacts help cells attach to the matrix rather than directly to neighboring cells.
A 2023 review of cell adhesion molecules in fibrotic diseases reported 18 integrin alpha subunits and eight beta subunits that can form 24 distinct integrins. Those are figures reported by that review, not a separately verified current count. Read the review.
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Selectins: transient interactions in the bloodstream
Selectins support relatively transient cell-to-cell interactions in the bloodstream by binding specific carbohydrate ligands on another cell. This differs from the more stable contacts commonly associated with cadherins.
Immunoglobulin-superfamily adhesion molecules: varied partners
This broad family includes molecules that can mediate calcium-independent adhesion. Neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) is one example. Intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs) can bind integrins on blood cells during cell migration, illustrating how adhesion molecules may work together across families.
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How adhesion supports tissue structure
Adhesion molecules help form specialized junctions, and different junctions have different jobs. As the NCBI Bookshelf chapter on cell junctions explains, junctions fall into three functional classes: occluding, anchoring, and communicating.
- Tight junctions are occluding junctions. They help create barriers between cells in epithelial tissues.
- Adherens junctions and desmosomes are cell-cell anchoring junctions. They provide mechanical connections between neighboring cells.
- Focal adhesions and hemidesmosomes anchor cells to the extracellular matrix.
- Gap junctions are communicating junctions, not anchoring junctions.
These distinctions matter: a barrier, a mechanical attachment, and a route for direct exchange are not interchangeable functions.
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How adhesion influences cell signaling
Adhesion is more than physical glue. When receptors bind their partners, they can organize signaling proteins and influence cell behaviors such as proliferation, survival, differentiation, and migration. Connections to the cytoskeleton are part of this relationship: they can help translate attachment and mechanical context into intracellular responses. A 2002 review by R. L. Juliano discusses signaling through cell adhesion receptors and the cytoskeleton; it supports this broad point, rather than serving as a guide to the latest detailed mechanisms. View the PubMed record.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Adhesion versus direct cell-to-cell communication
Adhesion molecules help cells attach, and that attachment can affect signaling within a cell. Gap junctions provide a separate form of communication: they create channels between adjacent cells through which small molecules and ions can pass directly. So, while adhesion can influence how cells respond to their environment, adhesion proteins generally should not be described as channels for direct exchange.
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At a glance: attachment and exchange
| Protein or junction | Typical binding or connection | Main role | Direct small-molecule or ion exchange? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadherins | Neighboring cells | Cell-cell adhesion and tissue organization | No |
| Integrins | Cell to extracellular matrix | Matrix attachment linked to intracellular structures and signaling | No |
| Selectins | Cell to specific carbohydrate ligands on another cell | Transient cell-cell interactions, including in the bloodstream | No |
| Immunoglobulin-superfamily adhesion molecules | Varied partners, including other adhesion molecules | Cell adhesion; some participate in cell migration | No |
| Gap junctions | Adjacent cells linked by channels | Direct communication between cells | Yes, for small molecules and ions |
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