The tight-junction-specific protein ZO-1 is a component of the human and rat blood-brain barriers.
Continuous tight junctions between vascular endothelial cells, the principal anatomical basis for the blood-brain barrier, have been investigated functionally and morphologically but their molecular components have not been defined. This communication reports that the protein ZO-1, a specific constituent of epithelial tight junctions, is found in human and rat brain vasculature. ZO-1-positive immunocytochemical staining forms a tightly banded pattern outlining individual endothelial cells in blood vessels of the human cerebral cortex. Rat brain exhibits a similar staining of blood vessels as well as ZO-1-positive staining around individual epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. The antiserum used for immunocytochemistry recognizes a protein of about 200 kDa in rat brain microvessels by Western blot. These findings indicate that ZO-1 is located at the interendothelial junctions of brain vasculature, implicating its importance as a component of the blood-brain barrier.
Alkermes, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139.
P M
PM
Watson
J M
JM
Anderson
C M
CM
Vanltallie
S R
SR
Doctrow
D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000737:chemistry; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000737:chemistry*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; C569044:Tjp1 protein, rat; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein