concept

Zonula occludens / Tight junctions

Tight junctions primarily establish a selective permeability barrier across epithelial cell sheets (Aijaz et al., 2006). Structurally, tight junctions establish a diffusion barrier through a network of paired sealing strands which are anchored to the actin cytoskeleton (Furuse, 2010). The claudin family helps define the selectivity of the tight junctions (Schneeberger and Lynch, 2004; Yamazaki et al., 2008). The associations among claudins and other tight junctional proteins such as occludin, and the cytoplasmic plaque proteins zona occludens (ZO), regulate tight junction formation, localization, and function (Furuse, 2010). Other proteins, such as Junctional Adhesion Molecule A (JAM-A), are also involved in tight junctions, although not to the extent of claudins and occludens. The barrier function of tight junctions is largely a consequence of their complex molecular composition. Tight junctional proteins establish a diffusion barrier by controlling selective paracellular permeability of solutes and restricting apical-basolateral diffusion of membrane components, which additionally maintains cell surface polarity (Adamson et al., 1999). Moreover, recent evidence suggests tight junctions participate in coordinating multiple cellular processes, such as regulating epithelial polarization and intercellular junctional assembly during development (Katsuno et al., 2008).

Ref:
Qi Wei, Hayden Huang, Chapter Five - Insights into the Role of Cell–Cell Junctions in Physiology and Disease, Editor(s): Kwang W. Jeon, International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology, Academic Press, Volume 306, 2013, Pages 187-221, ISSN 1937-6448, ISBN 9780124076945, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407694-5.00005-5. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124076945000055)

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Added on May 16, 2022 by Barbara Van De Keer
Edited on Sep 24, 2022 by Barbara Van De Keer

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