Setting up a selective barrier at the apical junction complex.
Across the animal kingdom the apical junction complex of epithelial cells creates both a permeability barrier and cell polarity. Although based on overlapping and evolutionarily conserved proteins, the cell-cell contacts of nematodes, flies and mammals appear to differ in morphology and functional organization. Emerging evidence shows that the selective pore-like properties of vertebrate and invertebrate barriers are created by the claudin family. Similarly, assembly of the barriers requires a conserved set of polarity-generating protein complexes, particularly the PAR protein complexes.
Anderson
James Melvin
JM
Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. jandersen@med.unc.edu
Van Itallie
Christina M
CM
Fanning
Alan S
AS
D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000502:physiology; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D062445:Claudin-1; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
C568108:CLDN1 protein, human; D062445:Claudin-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins