A key sequence in the claudin-1 protein regulates tight junction structure andfunction

摘要

Claudins are a family of integral membraneproteins critical to normal structure/function oftight junctions (TJ). A 27 amino acid segment ofthe predicted extracellular loop domain ofclaudin-1 was found to interact specifically withoccludin, another TJ protein. Interaction ratiosbetween this segment of claudin-1 and occludinappear to signal a balance between TJcomponents and regulate TJ internalizationevents.