Cellular Interactions
Summary
Cells exist in crowded communities in which physical contacts and soluble signals combine to regulate survival, growth, movement and function. Direct adhesions between cells are mediated by cadherins, which bind homotypically and link to the actin or intermediate‐filament cytoskeleton, while cell–extracellular‐matrix (ECM) adhesions use integrins to engage matrix proteins such as fibronectin, collagen and laminin. These receptor–ligand contacts generate both mechanical tension and biochemical cues that influence cell shape, polarity, proliferation and gene expression. Beyond simple static adhesion, cells probe chemical gradients by chemotaxis and haptotaxis, remodel their surroundings by secreting or degrading matrix, and coordinate complex multicellular behaviours such as collective migration and epithelial sheet extrusion. Intracellularly, Rho family GTPases and associated kinases translate membrane receptor engagement and force transmission into local actin assembly, contractile stress‐fiber formation and downstream signalling. The net result is a dynamically regulated network of interactions that underpins tissue morphogenesis, immune surveillance, wound repair and, when dysregulated, inflammation, fibrosis, tumour invasion or developmental defects.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Cellular Interactions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in cellular interactions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Cadherin: Calcium-dependent cell–cell adhesion receptor that links to actin (classical cadherins) or intermediate filaments (desmosomal cadherins).
Integrin: Heterodimeric transmembrane receptor that binds ECM ligands and connects to the cytoskeleton via focal‐adhesion complexes.
Chemotaxis: Directed cell movement along a soluble‐ligand gradient.
Haptotaxis: Directed migration guided by surface‐bound ligand gradients.
Mechanotransduction: Conversion of mechanical forces at adhesion sites into intracellular biochemical signals.
Rho GTPase: Molecular switch that cycles between GTP-bound (active) and GDP-bound (inactive) states to regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics.
Focal adhesion: Multi-protein complex at integrin clusters that transmits force and signals between the ECM and actin cytoskeleton.
References
- The principles of directed cell migration. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology (2021).
- A microfluidic device for measuring cell migration towards substrate-bound and soluble chemokine gradients. Scientific Reports (2016).
- The distinct localization of CDC42 isoforms is responsible for their specific functions during migration. Journal of Cell Biology (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.