Cell to Cell Interactions
Dr. Kanury Rao
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This is a direct communication that takes place between the cell surfaces. It is highly essential for the adequate functioning and development of a multicellular organism. In order to survive, the cells need to perform this function. They also must respond to the constant changes in the related micro-environment. There can be stable communications among the cells. For example:
Communications made with the help of cell junctions is a stable cell-to-cell communication.
Types Imagine a mosquito sitting on your skin and your brain is not sending any reflex signal. Thus, cells must communicate for such reflex actions and many more related activities. Various research is in progress related to the subject. Dr. Kanury Rao, the famous Indian immunologist is also a big name in the domain of cell signaling. There are various types of cell communications. Few of them are related to big molecules and the other for small elements like amino acids, ions, etc.
• Types of communication involved with big molecules:
Endocytosis
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This process is concerned with brining the molecules in the cell.
These are important molecules as they play a major role in the maintaining the lifespan of a cell. The three different styles of endocytosis are:
• Pinocytosis- This is the way in which the cells gulp solutes and dissolved ions in their liquid membrane.
• Phagocytosis- To explain simply, it is how the cells eat. They gobble the molecule and push it to the core. One example of phagocytosis is: when the white blood cells sense the pathogens, they engulf the bacterial or virus cells. Eventually those are taken in and destroyed.
• Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis- Receptors are proteins present in the This process is extremely particular about what to allow in the cell. It acts as strainer mechanism. The receptors present in the cells only allow the molecules that are compatible in terms of shapes, sizes, etc. either via pinocytosis or phagocytosis. Henceforth, it can be concluded that they play a pivotal role in cell signaling or communication. Dr. Kanury Rao, the great immunologist from India has dedicated himself in the incessant research of cell-to-cell communication.
• Exocytosis
It is process by which cells clean themselves and flush out the waste. In addition, it also infuses proteins into cell membranes. During this process, phospolipid bilayer borders the waste protein and forms vesicle (bubble-like shape). It is generally known for transporting molecules across the membrane.
• Types of communication involved with small elements:
• Cell Junctions
There are three assorted cell communications when it comes to smaller elements. Each of this are distinctive from their functional perspective.
• Tight Junctions
The connection is formed when one cell squished against the other. In this type of contact, only the cell membranes with one another. Though the tubes are absent, there is impermeable layer present between them. Tight junctions are beneficial where there is a requirement of carry fluids, such as: in intestines, kidney or bladder.
• Gap Junctions
The gap junctions are tubes joining two cells. The created connection permits ions and water between the connected cells. It also expands electrochemical signs that occur both in the cardiac cells and neurons. This is how the heart beats!
• Desmosomes
There is thread like elements that bind the cells together across the stretch between the cells. They just bind the cells together and do not allow exchange of fluids from the cells. The connections are also hooked to the cytoskeletons offering structural support.
The space allows the free flow of the fluids without affecting the cell-to-cell connection. This is beneficial for the flexibility of areas like intestines and skin that are susceptible to stress. The other junctions, on the other hand, cannot experience this elasticity.
• Pathological Involvement
• The abnormality in the cell signaling is the cause of many diseases like cancer and many others. Dr. Kanury Rao recently developed a device to detect the early-stage cancer in women.
• Cancer: It causes due to loss of communication. During normal time, the contact inhibition monitors the cell growth. Cadherine, apart from cell adhesion, is also responsible for contact inhibition. The inhibition prevents the cells from mounding one on top of another. In cancerous cells, the lack of contact inhibition results in uncontrollable growth, metastasis and formation of tumor.
• Pathogens: To invade a cell, the pathogenic cell communicates with the host cell. Firstly, the invading cell hooks up to the host cell. Post attachment it starts to intervene in the function of the host cell. The proteins of the bacterial cell communicate with the host cell’s protein receptors to interfere signal transduction.
Conclusion
The cell-to-cell interaction is extremely important for the normal functioning of the human body. The assorted communications between the cells is related to all body mechanism ranging from increasing the flexibility of the intestines to making the heartbeat. The abnormality in the interaction will result in the occurrence of fatal health condition like cancer. Dr. Kanury Rao, has researched on cell signaling to make an extraordinary invention of early cancer detection tool.