| Primary Identifier | IPR002958 | Type | Family |
| Short Name | Occludin |
| description | Occludin was the first molecular component of the tight junction to beidentified. These are specialised membrane domains that form intercellularcontacts between epithelial cells and create a regulated barrier to theparacellular movement of water, solutes and immune cells. They also providea second type of barrier that contributes to cell polarity by restrictingthe lateral diffusion of lipids and proteins within cell membranes [].Occludin is an ~65kDa type II integral membrane protein, which has beenshown to have four transmembrane (TM) domains, two extracellular loops andcytoplasmic N- and C-termini. The extracellular loops are chemically quitedistinctive, particularly the first, which has an unusually high content oftyrosine and glycine residues (~65%) that alternate along the sequence [].Gene knockout experiments have suggested occludin is an accessory, ratherthan principal, structural component of tight junctions, since occludin-deficient cells are still able to form tight junctions when cultured invitro []. |
