Tight Junctions of the Blood-Brain Barrier – A Molecular Gatekeeper

Title:Tight Junctions of the Blood-Brain Barrier – A Molecular Gatekeeper

Volume: 15 Issue: 9

Author(s): Hannelore Bauer and Andreas Traweger

Affiliation:

Keywords: Blood-brain barrier, tight junctions, scaffold proteins, zonula occludens, brain capillary endothelial cells, vascular permeability.

Abstract: A tight regulation of the neuroparenchymal microenvironment is imperative for proper neurological function. The flux of blood-borne ions and solutes is restricted by specialized tissue barriers and of the three main central nervous system barriers, the brain endothelium constituting the blood-brain barrier represents the major interface between blood and brain. At the basis of the bloodbrain barrier are, next to an elaborate transporting machinery, tight junctions which create not only a paracellular diffusion constraint but also enable vectorial transport across the endothelial monolayer. Generally, tight junctions not only represent a cellcell adhesion structure, but integrate various signaling pathways via large multiprotein complexes, thereby impacting upon processes such as cell proliferation, cytoskeletal rearrangement, and transcriptional control. This review provides an overview of tight junction morphology and discusses our current understanding of the molecular composition of endothelial tight junctions at the blood-brain barrier.

Cite this article as:

Bauer Hannelore and Traweger Andreas, Tight Junctions of the Blood-Brain Barrier – A Molecular Gatekeeper, CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 2016; 15 (9) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871527315666160915142244