Claudin-1, claudin-2 and claudin-11 are present in tight junctions of choroid plexus epithelium of the mouse.
The choroid plexus epithelium forms the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier and is responsible for the secretion of the CSF from the blood. The morphological correlate of the blood-CSF barrier are the tight junctions of choroid plexus epithelium. By freeze-fracture electron microscopy it has been demonstrated that choroid plexus epithelial tight junctions form parallel strands resembling those of Sertoli cells building the blood-testis barrier and those of the myelin sheaths of oligodendrocytes. As the oligodendrocyte specific protein/claudin-11 has been shown to be the central mediator of parallel-array tight junctions in Sertoli cells and myelin sheaths in mice, we asked whether claudin-11 is present in the tight junctions of choroid plexus epithelial cells of the mouse. Here, we present the first direct evidence that claudin-11 besides claudin-1 and -2, occludin and the zonula occludens protein ZO-1 is present in choroid plexus epithelial tight junctions. During inflammation in the central nervous system such as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, the molecular composition of choroid plexus epithelial tight junctions does not change considerably. Their unique molecular composition, with claudin-11 accompanied by claudin-1 and claudin-2 points to a unique regulatory mechanism of the blood-CSF-barrier function.
Wolburg
H
H
Institute of Pathology, University of Tübingen, Liebermeisterstrasse 8, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany. hartwig.wolburg@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Wolburg-Buchholz
K
K
Liebner
S
S
Engelhardt
B
B
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000502:physiology*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D002831:Choroid Plexus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D062445:Claudin-1; D057167:Claudins; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
C568108:CLDN1 protein, human; C491875:CLDN2 protein, human; D062445:Claudin-1; D057167:Claudins; C568113:Cldn1 protein, mouse; C492354:Cldn11 protein, mouse; C113371:Cldn2 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; C569042:TJP1 protein, human; C569043:Tjp1 protein, mouse; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein