What is apical-basal polarity?
Apical–basal polarity is a fundamental property of epithelial cells, which have membranes that are organized into subcellular compartments that enable cells to interpret and interact with their microenvironment to control proliferation, survival, migration, cell division, stem cell division, and differentiation.
Why is apical-basal polarity important?
Epithelial cells become polarized along the apical-basal axis. These include regulating the vectorial transport of ions across cell sheets during their barrier function as well as ensuring directionality during their secretory and absorptive functions [2].
What does polarity in epithelial cells mean?
Cell polarity is characterised by differences in structure, composition and function between at least two poles of a cell. In epithelial cells, these spatial differences allow for the formation of defined apical and basal membranes.
What is apical and basal?
The bottom edge of the epithelial tissue next to the basement membrane is the basal surface. In contrast, the edge of the epithelial tissue facing the lumen or the external environment is called the apical surface.
Is epithelial tissue polar or nonpolar?
Cell polarity is a fundamental feature of many types of cells. Epithelial cells are one example of a polarized cell type, featuring distinct ‘apical’, ‘lateral’ and ‘basal’ plasma membrane domains.
Which side is apical side?
The apical side is the side that faces the opposite direction, usually towards the lumen (inside) of a tube.
What is apical domain?
Collectively, the apical domain ensures its differential distribution between daughter cells during 8-to-16-cell divisions and plays an essential role for TE and ICM lineage segregation.
What is positive polarity?
Polarity is defined as, the condition of a body or system in which it has opposing physical properties at different points, especially, magnetic poles or electric charge. The pole with fewer electrons then has a positive polarity.
What does apical side mean?
How are apical-out enteroids maintain proper polarity?
We developed a technique to reverse enteroid polarity such that the apical surface everts to face the media. Apical-out enteroids maintain proper polarity and barrier function, differentiate into the major intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) types, and exhibit polarized absorption of nutrients.
How is the apical and baso-lateral polarity maintained?
The sharp distinction between apical and baso-lateral domains is maintained by an active mechanism that prevents mixing. The nature of this mechanism is not known, but it clearly depends on the polarity determinants. In the absence of the aPKC complex, the baso-lateral determinants spread into the former apical domain.
Which is an example of a polarized cell type?
Epithelial polarity (Cell surface specialization) Epithelial cells are one example of the polarized cell type, featuring distinct ‘apical’, ‘lateral’ & ‘basal’ plasma membrane domains.
How are epithelial cells polarized in the body?
Epithelial cells can connect to one another via their lateral membranes to form the epithelial sheets that line the cavities & surfaces throughout the animal body. Epithelial cells are one example of the polarized cell type, featuring distinct ‘apical’, ‘lateral’ & ‘basal’ plasma membrane domains.