Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Dec;68(12):653-60.
doi: 10.1002/cm.20547. Epub 2011 Dec 2.

Regulation of epithelial permeability by the actin cytoskeleton

Laurel S Rodgers  1 , Alan S Fanning
Affiliations
Review

Regulation of epithelial permeability by the actin cytoskeleton

Laurel S Rodgers et al. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). 2011 Dec.

Abstract

The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic structure necessary for cell and tissue organization, including the maintenance of epithelial barriers. The epithelial barrier regulates the movement of ions, macromolecules, immune cells, and pathogens, and is thus essential for normal organ function. Disruption in the epithelial barrier has been shown to coincide with alterations of the actin cytoskeleton in several disease states. These disruptions primarily manifest as increased movement through the paracellular space, which is normally regulated by tight junctions (TJ). Despite extensive research demonstrating a direct link between the actin cytoskeleton and epithelial permeability, our understanding of the physiological mechanisms that link permeability and tight junction structure are still limited. In this review, we explore the role of the actin cytoskeleton at TJ and present several areas for future study.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aijaz S, D’Atri F, Citi S, Balda MS, Matter K. Binding of GEF-H1 to the tight junction-associated adaptor cingulin results in inhibition of Rho signaling and G1/S phase transition. Dev Cell. 2005;8(5):777–86. - PubMed
    1. Balda MS, Flores-Maldonado C, Cereijido M, Matter K. Multiple domains of occludin are involved in the regulation of paracellular permeability. J Cell Biochem. 2000;78(1):85–96. - PubMed
    1. Balda MS, Matter K. Tight junctions at a glance. J Cell Sci. 2008;121(Pt 22):3677–82. - PubMed
    1. Ballard ST, Hunter JH, Taylor AE. Regulation of tight-junction permeability during nutrient absorption across the intestinal epithelium. Annu Rev Nutr. 1995;15:35–55. - PubMed
    1. Bazzoni G, Martinez-Estrada OM, Orsenigo F, Cordenonsi M, Citi S, Dejana E. Interaction of junctional adhesion molecule with the tight junction components ZO-1, cingulin, and occludin. J Biol Chem. 2000;275(27):20520–6. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources