A tyrosine kinase connects tension with strength of junctions between three adjacent cells The primary function of cells in all epithelial tissues is to form a physical barrier separating different compartments. Cell-cell adhesion structures seal neighboring membranes to form a barrier. Depending on the number of cells that are clumped together, these are called bicellular or tricellular junctions (1). During development and normal tissue homeostasis, cells in epithelia move and change their respective positions without complete loss of membrane connections and disruption of junctions. The mechanisms responsible for this junctional remodeling are not well understood. On page 1060 of this issue, Yu and Zallen (2) identify a signaling pathway that connects changes in mechanical forces at tricellular junctions with biochemical signals that either reinforce or weaken these adhesion structures. These results provide a molecular basis for understanding how cells sense and react to the mechanical changes in their environment.

中文翻译：

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在压力下保持联系

酪氨酸激酶将张力与三个相邻细胞之间的连接强度联系起来所有上皮组织中细胞的主要功能是形成分隔不同隔室的物理屏障。细胞-细胞粘附结构密封相邻的膜以形成屏障。根据聚集在一起的细胞数量，这些被称为双细胞或三细胞连接 (1)。在发育和正常组织稳态期间，上皮细胞移动并改变它们各自的位置，而不会完全丧失膜连接和连接中断。负责这种连接重塑的机制尚不清楚。在本期第 1060 页，Yu 和 Zallen (2) 确定了一种信号通路，该通路将三细胞连接处机械力的变化与生化信号联系起来，生化信号可以加强或削弱这些粘附结构。这些结果为理解细胞如何感知环境中的机械变化并做出反应提供了分子基础。