title: Signalling at tight junctions during epithelial differentiation and microbial pathogenesis.
abstract: Tight junctions are a component of the epithelial junctional complex, and they form the paracellular diffusion barrier that enables epithelial cells to create cellular sheets that separate compartments with different compositions. The assembly and function of tight junctions are intimately linked to the actomyosin cytoskeleton and, hence, are under the control of signalling mechanisms that regulate cytoskeletal dynamics. Tight junctions not only receive signals that guide their assembly and function, but transmit information to the cell interior to regulate cell proliferation, migration and survival. As a crucial component of the epithelial barrier, they are often targeted by pathogenic viruses and bacteria, aiding infection and the development of disease. In this Commentary, we review recent progress in the understanding of the molecular signalling mechanisms that drive junction assembly and function, and the signalling processes by which tight junctions regulate cell behaviour and survival. We also discuss the way in which junctional components are exploited by pathogenic viruses and bacteria, and how this might affect junctional signalling mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
authors.forename: Ceniz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zihni
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK m.balda@ucl.ac.uk k.matter@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Maria S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Balda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK m.balda@ucl.ac.uk k.matter@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena; D014780:Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity
keywords: Infection; Polarity; Rho GTPase; Tight junction