Rizzolo Lawrence J
Department of Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Int Rev Cytol. 2007;258:195-234. doi: 10.1016/S0074-7696(07)58004-6.
The outer blood-retinal barrier is formed by the retinal pigment epithelium. In any epithelial monolayer, the tight junctions enable the epithelium to form a barrier by joining neighboring cells together and regulating transepithelial diffusion through the paracellular spaces. Tight junctions are complex, dynamic structures that regulate cell proliferation, polarity, and paracellular diffusion. The specific properties of tight junctions vary among epithelia, according to the physiological role of the epithelium. Unlike other epithelia, the apical surface of the retinal pigment epithelium interacts with a solid tissue, the neural retina. Secretions of the developing neural retina regulate the assembly, maturation, and tissue-specific properties of these tight junctions. The slow time course of development allows investigators to dissect the mechanisms of junction assembly and function. These studies are aided by culture systems that model different stages of development.
视网膜外血视网膜屏障由视网膜色素上皮形成。在任何上皮单层中，紧密连接通过将相邻细胞连接在一起并调节经细胞旁间隙的跨上皮扩散，使上皮形成屏障。紧密连接是复杂的动态结构，可调节细胞增殖、极性和细胞旁扩散。紧密连接的具体特性因上皮的生理作用而异。与其他上皮不同，视网膜色素上皮的顶端表面与实体组织即神经视网膜相互作用。发育中的神经视网膜的分泌物调节这些紧密连接的组装、成熟和组织特异性特性。发育的缓慢进程使研究人员能够剖析连接组装和功能的机制。这些研究得到了模拟不同发育阶段的培养系统的帮助。
