Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Endothelial Cell Transcytosis Assay as an In Vitro Model to Evaluate Inner Blood-Retinal Barrier Permeability
Published on: June 7, 2022
Development and role of tight junctions in the retinal pigment epithelium
1Department of Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Abstract:
The outer blood-retinal barrier is formed by the retinal pigment epithelium. In any epithelial monolayer, the tight junctions enable the epithelium to form a barrier by joining neighboring cells together and regulating transepithelial diffusion through the paracellular spaces. Tight junctions are complex, dynamic structures that regulate cell proliferation, polarity, and paracellular diffusion. The specific properties of tight junctions vary among epithelia, according to the physiological role of the epithelium. Unlike other epithelia, the apical surface of the retinal pigment epithelium interacts with a solid tissue, the neural retina. Secretions of the developing neural retina regulate the assembly, maturation, and tissue-specific properties of these tight junctions. The slow time course of development allows investigators to dissect the mechanisms of junction assembly and function. These studies are aided by culture systems that model different stages of development.
Related Concept Videos
Tight Junctions
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Anchoring Junctions
Adherens Junctions
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin homology) domains...

