Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Three-Dimensional Culture of Murine Colonic Crypts to Study Intestinal Stem Cell Function Ex Vivo
Published on: October 11, 2022
Selective up-regulation of claudin-1 and claudin-2 in colorectal cancer
Tetsushi Kinugasa1, Qun Huo, Daijiro Higashi
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. t-kinu@fukuoka-u.ac.jp
Background:
To understand the molecular and morphological alterations in the tight junction in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, the expression of eight tight junction proteins in normal and cancer colorectal tissues were compared.
Patients And Methods:
Adenocarcinoma tissues and paired normal mucosa were resected from surgical specimens of CRC patients. The expression of occludin, ZO-1, ZO-2, and claudin-1 -5 was analyzed at the mRNA level by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and at the protein level by immunohistochemistry.
Results:
The expression of claudin-1 and claudin-2 in cancer tissues was upregulated 40- and 49.2-fold, respectively, at the mRNA level, as compared with that in normal tissues. The up-regulation of these two claudins was also observed at the protein level and it appeared to depend on the depth of tumor invasion.
Conclusion:
Claudin-1 and claudin-2 were found to be overexpressed in CRC tissues. They may be useful as tumor markers and targets for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Selectins
Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells
Tight Junctions
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive EGFR activation may...
Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

