Rho-ROCK liberates sequestered claudin for rapid de novo tight junction formation.

ABSTRACT: The epithelial cell sheet maintains its integrity as a barrier while undergoing turnover of constituent cells. To sustain the barrier continuously, it's essential to preserve the 'old' tight junctions (TJs) between cells being excluded from the sheet and their neighbors while simultaneously forming de novo TJs between newly adjacent cells. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of de novo TJs remain largely unknown. This study investigates two scenarios: the formation of de novo TJs during the removal of apoptotic cells from mouse monolayer epithelial sheets and during the differentiation of the granular layer in mouse stratified epidermis. We revealed that rapid claudin assembly is achieved by actively regulating the dissociation of the EpCAM/TROP2-claudin complex in

SUBMITTER: Cho Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12289309 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature