Abstract
An intact intestinal barrier is crucial for immune homeostasis and its impairment activates the immune system and may result in chronic inflammation. The epithelial cells of the intestinal barrier are connected by tight junctions, which form an anastomosing network sealing adjacent epithelial cells. Tight junctions are composed of transmembrane and cytoplasmic scaffolding proteins. Transmembrane tight junction proteins at the apical-lateral membrane of the cell consist of occludin, claudins, junctional adhesion molecules, and tricellulin. Cytoplasmic scaffolding proteins, including zonula occludens, cingulin and afadin, provide a direct link between transmembrane tight junction proteins and the intracellular cytoskeleton. Each individual component of the tight junction network closely interacts with each other to form an efficient intestinal barrier. This review aims to describe the molecular structure of intestinal epithelial tight junction proteins and to characterize their organization and interaction. Moreover, clinically important biomarkers associated with impairment of gastrointestinal integrity are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1996830 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-21 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Tissue Barriers |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 30 Oct 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Jul 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Keywords
- Intestinal barrier
- junctional complexes
- epithelial tight junctions
- biomarkers of gastrointestinal functionality