Table 1. Comparison of epithelial, endothelial, and mesenchymal cells.
| Epithelial cell | Endothelial cell | Mesenchymal cell | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell–cell junctions: | adherens junctions w/E-cadherin tight junctions desmosomes | adherens junctions w/VE-cadherin limited tight junctions | None (or focal) |
| Organised cell layer: | ✓ | ✓ | No |
| Apico-basolateral polarity: | ✓ | ✓ | No |
| Basement membrane: | ✓ | ✓ | No, but makes interstitial matrix |
| Migratory: | No | No | ✓ |
| Intermediate filament: | Cytokeratin | Vimentin | Vimentin |
| Markers: | E-cadherin, claudins, occludins, desmoplakin, cytokeratin, mucin-1 | CD31, VE-cadherin, Tie1, Tie2, VEGFR | FSP1, αSMA, vimentin, fibronectin, vitronectin, collagen types I and III |