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A cell-cell junction in which: on the cytoplasmic surface of each interacting plasma membrane is a dense plaque composed of a mixture of intracellular anchor proteins; a bundle of keratin intermediate filaments is attached to the surface of each plaque; transmembrane adhesion proteins of the cadherin family bind to the plaques and interact through their extracellular domains to hold the adjacent membranes together by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism. A cell-cell adherens junction which forms a continuous belt near the apex of epithelial cells. A functional unit located near the cell apex at the points of contact between epithelial cells, which in vertebrates is composed of the tight junction, the zonula adherens, and desmosomes and in invertebrates is composed of the subapical complex (SAC), the zonula adherens and the septate junction. Functions in the regulation of cell polarity, tissue integrity and intercellular adhesion and permeability. Any constituent part of the plasma membrane, the membrane surrounding a cell that separates the cell from its external environment. It consists of a phospholipid bilayer and associated proteins. A plasma membrane part that forms a specialized region of connection between two cells or between a cell and the extracellular matrix. At a cell junction, anchoring proteins extend through the plasma membrane to link cytoskeletal proteins in one cell to cytoskeletal proteins in neighboring cells or to proteins in the extracellular matrix. A cell junction that forms a connection between two cells; excludes direct cytoplasmic junctions such as ring canals. An occluding cell-cell junction that is composed of a branching network of sealing strands that completely encircles the apical end of each cell in an epithelial sheet; the outer leaflets of the two interacting plasma membranes are seen to be tightly apposed where sealing strands are present. Each sealing strand is composed of a long row of transmembrane adhesion proteins embedded in each of the two interacting plasma membranes. The most apical region of the lateral plasma membrane of an invertebrate epithelial cell. The subapical complex lies above the zonula adherens and the septate junction, and is comparable to the position of the tight junction of vertebrate cells. A cell-cell junction that forms a continuous band around each cell in an epithelium; within the septate junction the membranes of adjacent cells maintain a constant distance of approximately 15 nm; found in invertebrates. The apical end of the lateral plasma membrane of epithelial cells.

View Gene Ontology (GO) Term

GO TERM SUMMARY

Name: apical junction complex
Acc: GO:0043296
Aspect: Cellular Component
Desc: A functional unit located near the cell apex at the points of contact between epithelial cells, which in vertebrates is composed of the tight junction, the zonula adherens, and desmosomes and in invertebrates is composed of the subapical complex (SAC), the zonula adherens and the septate junction. Functions in the regulation of cell polarity, tissue integrity and intercellular adhesion and permeability.
Synonyms:
  • apical cell junction complex
Proteins in PDR annotated with:
   This term: 25 [Search]
   Term or descendants: 304 [Search]


[geneontology.org]
INTERACTIVE GO GRAPH

GO:0043296 - apical junction complex (interactive image map)

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Created and Maintained by: Michael Riffle