Stevenson B R, Keon B H
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 1998;14:89-109. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.14.1.89.
The tight junction forms a regulated barrier in the paracellular pathway between epithelial and endothelial cells. This intercellular junction also demarcates the compositionally distinct apical and basolateral membranes. While the existence of a paracellular barrier in epithelia was hypothesized by physiologists over a century ago, the molecular characterization of the tight junction is a relatively new and rapidly expanding area of research. It is now recognized that the tight junction is comprised of at least nine peripheral and one integral membrane proteins. This complex includes members of a protein family related to tumor suppression and signal transduction, a rab protein, and a Ras target protein. The characteristics of, interactions between, and potential physiological roles of these proteins at the tight junction are discussed.
紧密连接在上皮细胞和内皮细胞之间的细胞旁途径中形成一个受调控的屏障。这种细胞间连接还划分了成分不同的顶端膜和基底外侧膜。虽然一个多世纪前生理学家就推测上皮细胞中存在细胞旁屏障，但紧密连接的分子特征是一个相对较新且迅速发展的研究领域。现在人们认识到紧密连接至少由九种外周膜蛋白和一种整合膜蛋白组成。这个复合体包括与肿瘤抑制和信号转导相关的蛋白家族成员、一种rab蛋白和一种Ras靶蛋白。本文讨论了这些蛋白在紧密连接处的特征、相互作用以及潜在的生理作用。
