title: Characterization of huJAM: evidence for involvement in cell-cell contact and tight junction regulation.
abstract: Cell-cell interactions of the mucosal epithelia are important for the maintenance and establishment of epithelial barrier function. During events of inflammation, such cell-cell interactions are often disrupted, resulting in a leaky epithelial barrier, which in turn can lead to various inflammatory and infective dysfunctions. Human junctional adhesion molecule (huJAM), found on the mucosal epithelia and vascular endothelia of many major organ systems, is a membrane glycoprotein which resolves to a doublet band of approximately 40 and approximately 37 kDa under SDS-PAGE analysis, representing differentially glycosylated forms of the same protein. huJAM was localized to the lateral membrane of Caco-2 cells (a human colonic epithelial cell line) monolayers, in an area basolateral of the epithelial tight junctions (TJ). Through functional and biochemical assays, we show huJAM to be able to homotypically associate and to participate in TJ restitution after trypsin-EDTA disruption. Furthermore, we also observed a migration of huJAM expression toward areas of cell-cell contacts during events of cell adhesion and monolayer formation. These qualities makes huJAM a likely player in the regulation of cell-cell contacts and the subsequent formation of TJs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA.
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: DeMarco
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mrsny
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gurney
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hooley
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Aaron
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klassen
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Tumas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D062726:Junctional Adhesion Molecules; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D062726:Junctional Adhesion Molecules; D012333:RNA, Messenger