ZOning out tight junctions.
The tight junction is an intricate seal between adjoining epithelial cells that also separates the apical and basolateral membranes within these cells. A paper in this issue of Cell by Umeda et al. (2006) demonstrates that loss of the ZO scaffolding proteins prevents the formation of tight junctions but surprisingly does not perturb apico-basal polarity.
Shin
Kunyoo
K
Department of Internal Medicine and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA.
Margolis
Ben
B
D000818:Animals; D016764:Cell Polarity; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C569043:Tjp1 protein, mouse; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein