Table 1.

Adhesion protein complexes that confer cell-cell adhesion in the seminiferous epithelium of adult testes.

	Location	Adhesion protein complex
Anchoring junctions
Apical ES	Sertoli cell-spermatid (step 8–19)	α6β1-integrin-laminin α3β3γ3 N-cadherin-β-catenin Nectin-2/3-afadin JAM-C-ZO-1 CAR-ZO-1
Desmosome	Sertoli cell-spermatocyte/spermatogonium Sertoli cell-spermatid (step 1–7)	Desmoglein-desmocollin Desmoglein-desmocollin
Hemidesmosome	Sertoli cell-basement membrane	β1-integrin/laminin α2
Communicating junctions
Gap junction	Sertoli cell-spermatid (step 1–19)	Connexin 43-plakophilin-2
Blood-testis barrier
Tight junction	Sertoli-Sertoli cell	Occludin-ZO-1 N-cadherin-β-catenin JAM-A-ZO-1 JAM-B-ZO-1 CAR-ZO-1
Basal ES	Sertoli-Sertoli cell	N-cadherin-β-catenin Nectin-2-afadin JAM-A-ZO-1 CAR-ZO-1
Desmosome	Sertoli-Sertoli cell	Desmoglein-2-desmocollin-2
Gap junction	Sertoli-Sertoli cell	Connexin 43-plakophilin-2

This Table was prepared based on recent reviews (Mruk and Cheng, 2004; Mruk et al., 2008; Wong et al., 2008; Cheng and Mruk, 2009; 2010; Wong and Cheng, 2009; Cheng et al., 2010; Lie et al., 2011) based on studies in the rat testis. Apical ES, basal ES, tight junction and gap junction are using actin for their attachment; desmosome and hemidesmosome are using intermediate filament for their attachment. Focal contact (or focal adhesion complex), a cell-matrix anchoring junction type using actin for its attachment is absent in the testis. CAR, coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor; JAM, junctional adhesion molecule; ZO-1, zonula occludens-1.