Cell-Cell Adhesion in the Cnidaria: Insights Into theEvolution of Tissue Morphogenesis

摘要

Cell adhesion is a major aspect of cell biologyand one of the fundamental processes involved in the de-velopment of a multicellular animal. Adhesive mechanisms,both cell-cell and between cell and extracellular matrix, areintimately involved in assembling cells into the three-di-mensional structures of tissues and organs. The modulationof adhesive complexes could therefore be seen as a centralcomponent in the molecular control of morphogenesis,translating information encoded within the genome intoorganismal form. The availability of whole genomes fromearly-branching metazoa such as cnidarians is providingimportant insights into the evolution of adhesive processesby allowing for the easy identification of the genes involvedin adhesion in these organisms. Discovery of the molecularnature of cell adhesion in the early-branching groups, cou-pled with comparisons across the metazoa, is revealing theways evolution has tinkered with this vital cellular processin the generation of the myriad forms seen across the animalkingdom.