Tight Junctions in Salivary Epithelium
Open Access
- 1 January 2010
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Hindawi Limited in Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology
- Vol. 2010, 1-13
- https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/278948
Abstract
Epithelial cell tight junctions (TJs) consist of a narrow belt-like structure in the apical region of the lateral plasma membrane that circumferentially binds each cell to its neighbor. TJs are found in tissues that are involved in polarized secretions, absorption functions, and maintaining barriers between blood and interstitial fluids. The morphology, permeability, and ion selectivity of TJ vary among different types of tissues and species. TJs are very dynamic structures that assemble, grow, reorganize, and disassemble during physiological or pathological events. Several studies have indicated the active role of TJ in intestinal, renal, and airway epithelial function; however, the functional significance of TJ in salivary gland epithelium is poorly understood. Interactions between different combinations of the TJ family (each with their own unique regulatory proteins) define tissue specificity and functions during physiopathological processes; however, these interaction patterns have not been studied in salivary glands. The purpose of this review is to analyze some of the current data regarding the regulatory components of the TJ that could potentially affect cellular functions of the salivary epithelium.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (K08 DE017633-01)
This publication has 145 references indexed in Scilit:
- Enhancement of barrier function by overexpression of claudin-4 in tight junctions of submandibular gland cellsCell and tissue research, 2008
- Diverse roles of E‐cadherin in the morphogenesis of the submandibular gland: Insights into the formation of acinar and ductal structuresDevelopmental Dynamics, 2008
- Oxidative stress induces gastric epithelial permeability through claudin-3Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2008
- Organization of multiprotein complexes at cell–cell junctionsHistochemistry and Cell Biology, 2008
- The PAR Proteins: Fundamental Players in Animal Cell PolarizationDevelopmental Cell, 2007
- Gap junction channel structure in the early 21st century: facts and fantasiesCurrent Opinion in Cell Biology, 2007
- Interaction between transcellular and paracellular water transport pathways through Aquaporin 5 and the tight junction complexProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007
- Establishment and Characterization of Cultured Epithelial Cells Lacking Expression of ZO-1Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2004
- The C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of claudins 1 and 5 but not its PDZ-binding motif is required for apical localization at epithelial and endothelial tight junctionsEuropean Journal of Cell Biology, 2004
- Localization of amylase and mucins in the major salivary glands of the mouseJournal of Molecular Histology, 1982