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Features of intercellular junctions in endothelial cells.

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posted on 2017-07-27, 18:14 authored by Hiromi Sato, Jenifer Coburn

The tight junction consists of claudin, occludin, and intracellular zonula occludens (ZO) proteins. ZO-1, ZO-2, and ZO-3 directly associate with actin filaments. Pathogenic Leptospira infection disrupted only the ZO-1 structure in tight junctions. The adherens junction is comprised of VE-cadherin, p120 catenin (p120), alpha-catenin (α-cat), beta-catenin (β-cat), and nectin. Alpha-catenin is a molecular switch that interacts with either the cadherin/beta-catenin complex or actin filaments. Our data indicate that the primary target of pathogenic Leptospira is the VE-cadherin/catenins complex in adherens junctions.

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