Functions of Adherens Junction

• Adherens junctions are multiprotein complexes located close to the apical membrane in epithelial cells. They play a key role in facilitating the adhesion of homologous cells in all kinds of tissues. 
• To create an elastic connection between epithelial cells or between the extracellular matrix and the epithelial cells, adherens junctions join the actin cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane.
• To respond to pressures, biochemical cues, and structural changes in their milieu, tissue cells constantly assemble and dismantle them.
• Adherens junctions maintain the structural integrity of the tissues.
• They control the actin cytoskeleton and start and maintain cell adhesion.
• During embryonic development, adherens junctions encourage adhesion between homologous cells and make it easier to further organize and separate the tissues.
• Adherens junctions help adults maintain tissue homeostasis and regulate the penetration of epithelial and endothelial cells.
• Adherens junctions also facilitate signal transduction and intercellular communication, control cell shape and polarity, mediate contact inhibition of cell development, and boost res
• Adherens junctions give cells a rigid, mechanical link to keep them from moving around in relation to one another.
• Adherens junctions provide strong mechanical attachments between adjacent cells. 
• In the Cardiac muscle, these junctions are present which hold the muscles cell tightly.

The adherens junction (AJ), a component of the cell-cell junction, is where cadherin receptors operate to homophilically connect the nearby plasma membranes. The cytoplasmic proteins known as catenins, with which cadherins are associated, then bind to the cytoskeletal elements actin filaments and microtubules. The interaction of these chemical complexes with additional proteins, such as signaling molecules, transforms the AJs into extremely dynamic and controllable structures. The morphogenesis and remodeling of tissues and organs depend on the regulation of cell-cell interactions as well as the physical connecting of cells, both of which are facilitated by AJs of this type. Therefore, understanding the AJs’ molecular architecture and their regulation processes is essential to comprehend how the multicellular system is structured.

Over a set of specified processes, such as initiation, cadherin recruitment, and the recruitment of plaque proteins, the creation and operation of the adherens junction may be explained. When migrating cells first come into contact with one another to form a tissue, for example, adherens junction assembly takes place. It can also happen in pre-existing tissues when cells divide, change shape, or move in response to biochemical or mechanical stimuli. Initiation of adherens junctions during embryonic morphogenesis and in cell culture at the point at which migrating cells first come into contact have been extensively studied. The formation and dissolution of AJs occur throughout life, not just during development, and this turnover is essential for maintaining the homeostasis of epithelial tissues.