Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Tight Junctions

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another cell. These cell junctions are classified into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another cell. These cell junctions are classified into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...

Cells of the Epidermis

Cells of the Epidermis

The epidermis is made of four or five layers of epithelial cells, depending on its location in the body. From deep to superficial, these layers are the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum.
The cells in all these layers except the stratum basale are called keratinocytes, a type of cell that manufactures and stores the protein keratin. The keratinocytes in the stratum corneum are dead and regularly slough away, being replaced by cells from...

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular cells,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Exploring associations between skin, the dermal microbiome, and ultraviolet radiation: advancing possibilities for next-generation sunscreens.

Frontiers in microbiomes·2026

Same author

Ultraviolet radiation reshapes the metabolome of skin commensal bacteria, influencing AhR signaling and barrier function.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2026

Same author

A skin isolate of <i>Micrococcus luteus</i> negates the <i>Staphylococcus aureus-</i>induced release of type 2 cytokines from keratinocytes.

Frontiers in immunology·2026

Same author

Polymorphic light eruption shows aberrant expression of epidermal tight junction proteins in unexposed and UVR-exposed skin: an experimental study.

Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology·2026

Same author

The human skin microbiome remains unchanged after 24 h of sunscreen application.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2025

Same author

Catalytic Site Inhibitors of Group 1 Allergens Prevent Toll-like Receptor (TLR)4- and TLR1/2-Dependent Innate Responses in Keratinocytes and Airway Epithelial Cells Exposed to House Dust Mite Allergenic Extract.

ACS pharmacology & translational science·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Published on: February 10, 2014

Tight junction proteins and the epidermis.

Catherine A O'Neill¹, David Garrod

¹Epithelial Sciences Research Group, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. catherine.a.oneill@manchester.ac.uk

Experimental Dermatology

|January 25, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Epithelial barrier function relies on tight junctions (TJs). This review explores TJ roles in simple epithelia and speculates on their function in stratified epithelia like the epidermis.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Published on: February 10, 2014

Area of Science:

Cell biology
Epithelial biology
Barrier function

Background:

Epithelia form selective permeability barriers between body compartments.
Tight junctions (TJs) are crucial for epithelial barrier integrity.
TJ structure and function are well-understood in simple epithelia but less so in stratified epithelia.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the known roles of TJs in simple epithelia.
To speculate on the function of TJs in stratified epithelia, particularly the epidermis.

Main Methods:

Literature review
Comparative analysis of TJ function in simple vs. stratified epithelia

Main Results:

TJs seal paracellular spaces, enabling selective permeability.
Understanding of TJs in simple epithelia provides a foundation for studying complex epithelial tissues.

Conclusions:

Further research is needed to elucidate TJ roles in the epidermis.
TJs are fundamental to epithelial barrier function across different tissue types.