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Review
. 2006 Apr;16(4):181-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2006.02.006. Epub 2006 Mar 14.

Claudins in occluding junctions of humans and flies

Mikio Furuse  1 , Shoichiro Tsukita
Affiliations
Review

Claudins in occluding junctions of humans and flies

Mikio Furuse et al. Trends Cell Biol. 2006 Apr.

Abstract

The epithelial barrier is fundamental to the physiology of most metazoan organ systems. Occluding junctions, including vertebrate tight junctions and invertebrate septate junctions, contribute to the epithelial barrier function by restricting free diffusion of solutes through the paracellular route. The recent identification and characterization of claudins, which are tight junction-associated adhesion molecules, gives insight into the molecular architecture of tight junctions and their barrier-forming mechanism in vertebrates. Mice lacking the expression of various claudins, and human hereditary diseases with claudin mutations, have revealed that the claudin-based barrier function of tight junctions is indispensable in vivo. Interestingly, claudin-like molecules have recently been identified in septate junctions of Drosophila. Here, we present an overview of recent progress in claudin studies conducted in mammals and flies.

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