A protein complex that binds epithelial cells together has been found to perform a secondary function: enabling cells to engulf nearby dead cells. Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona studied this mechanism in zebrafish and mouse embryos, discovering that the E-cadherin complex—normally responsible for structural cell adhesion—repurposes itself during cell death clearance.
The research involved testing whether epithelial cells grip dying cells using the same adhesion machinery they use for neighboring cells. When researchers offered tissues dying cells stripped of E-cadherin and fat droplets displaying death signals, both were cleared efficiently, indicating the mechanism operates independently of traditional adhesion binding.
The imaging revealed an interesting asymmetry: cells manage to engulf material while maintaining their barrier function because “the top and bottom surfaces of a single cell behave independently.” The upper surface remains stationary, preserving the sealed barrier, while the lower surface deforms around the target.
Within the E-cadherin complex, one protein acts as a tether to the cell’s internal skeleton, transmitting force across the cell surface. Another functions as a brake on the cell’s contractile motor—surprisingly, removing this brake makes cells too rigid to clear dead material effectively.
Testing in mouse embryos confirmed the mechanism operates across vertebrates. The findings suggest a wider physiological role, since E-cadherin is present throughout adult epithelia.
Journal: Nature Communications
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-76710-1
Source: Centre for Genomic Regulation
Featured image credit: Laura F. Bianchi/Centro de Regulación Genómica.