Lu Ru-Yi, Yang Wan-Xi, Hu Yan-Jun
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310006, China.
Mol Biol Rep. 2014 Oct;41(10):6591-610. doi: 10.1007/s11033-014-3543-5. Epub 2014 Jun 26.
Tight junctions (TJs) are sealing complexes between adjacent epithelial cells, functioning by controlling paracellular passage and maintaining cell polarity. These functions of TJs are primarily based on structural integrity as well as dynamic regulatory balance, indicating plasticity of TJ in response to external stimuli. An indispensable role of TJs involved in pathogen infection has been widely demonstrated since disruption of TJs leads to a distinct increase in paracellular permeability and polarity defects which facilitate viral or bacterial entry and spread. In addition to pathological changes in TJ integrity, TJ proteins such as occludin and claudins can either function as receptors for pathogen entry or interact with viral/bacterial effector molecules as an essential step for characterizing an infective stage. This suggests a more complicated role for TJ itself and especially specific TJ components. Thus, this review surveys the role of the epithelial TJs involved in various pathogen infections, and extends TJ targeted therapeutic and pharmacological application prospects.
紧密连接（TJs）是相邻上皮细胞之间的密封复合物，通过控制细胞旁通道和维持细胞极性发挥作用。紧密连接的这些功能主要基于结构完整性以及动态调节平衡，表明紧密连接在响应外部刺激时具有可塑性。自从紧密连接的破坏导致细胞旁通透性明显增加和极性缺陷，从而促进病毒或细菌的进入和传播以来，紧密连接在病原体感染中所起的不可或缺的作用已得到广泛证实。除了紧密连接完整性的病理变化外，紧密连接蛋白如闭合蛋白和克劳丁蛋白既可以作为病原体进入的受体，也可以与病毒/细菌效应分子相互作用，这是表征感染阶段的关键步骤。这表明紧密连接本身，尤其是特定的紧密连接成分具有更复杂的作用。因此，本综述探讨了上皮紧密连接在各种病原体感染中的作用，并拓展了针对紧密连接的治疗和药理学应用前景。
