The “glue” holding your cells together has a surprising second job

Scientists have discovered that E-cadherin, a protein best known as the “glue” holding cells and tissues together, has a surprising second job: helping epithelial cells swallow nearby dead cells. Using live zebrafish and mouse embryos, researchers found that cells can dramatically reshape their lower surfaces to engulf cellular debris while keeping their upper surfaces stable, allowing protective barriers to remain sealed. The “glue” holding your cells together has a surprising second job.

The outer layer of the embryo remains intact and sealed even as individual cells within it engulf dead material. Bianchi/Centro de Regulación Genómica A protein best known for helping cells and tissues stay connected has another unexpected role. Researchers have found that it also helps epithelial cells, which form continuous sealed layers throughout the body, engulf nearby dead cells.

The discovery could have implications for chronic inflammation. Debris from dying cells is a major contributor to inflammatory responses, so understanding how tissues remove that material may reveal new clues about what happens when the cleanup process fails. The study, published in Nature Communications, focuses on the E-cadherin complex.