Identification and characterisation of human Junctional Adhesion Molecule (JAM)

Abstract

It is widely believed that migrating immune cells utilise the intercellular junctions as routes of passage, and in doing so cause the transient disruption of junctional structures. Thus there is much interest in the molecules that have been identified at cell-cell contact points and their potential involvement in the control of leukocyte diapedesis. In this report we describe the human orthologue to Junctional Adhesion Molecule (JAM), a recently identified member of the immunoglobulin superfamily expressed at intercellular junctions (Martin-Padura et al., 1998). The human protein shares a highly conserved structure and sequence with the murine protein. However it is distinct in that it is constitutively expressed on circulating neutrophils, monocytes, platelets and lymphocyte subsets. This broad expression pattern is similar to another IgSF molecule, CD31, expressed at intercellular junctions, and may indicate further complexities in the control of leukocyte/ endothelial interactions.