Mobility and cytoskeletal interactions of cell adhesion receptors

Clustering of cell adhesion receptors and their interactions with the cytos keleton are key events in the formation and function of cell adhesion struc tures. On the free cell surface, cadherin molecules interact with the cytos keleton/membrane skeleton by being bound or corralled, and such interaction s are greatly enhanced by the formation of cadherin oligomers, Corralled ca dherin molecules undergo hop diffusion from one compartment to an adjacent one (membrane skeleton fence model), which prompts the initial formation of small adhesion clusters at cell-cell contact sites, but larger-scale assem blies of cadherin and actin filaments might require a further co-ordinated recruitment of these molecules.