The Tight Junction Protein ZO-1 Is Dispensable for Barrier Function but Critical for Effective Mucosal Repair

Increased permeability is implicated in the pathogenesis of intestinal disease. In vitro and in vivo studies have linked down-regulation of the scaffolding protein ZO-1, encoded by the TJP1 gene, to increased tight junction permeability. This has not, however, been tested in vivo. Here, we assessed the contributions of ZO-1 to in vivo epithelial barrier function and mucosal homeostasis.

Public Gene Expression Omnibus data sets and biopsy specimens from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and healthy control individuals were analyzed. Tjp1^f/f;vil-Cre^Tg mice with intestinal epithelial-specific ZO-1 knockout (ZO-1^KO.IEC) mice and Tjp1^f/f mice littermates without Cre expression were studied using chemical and immune-mediated models of disease as well as colonic stem cell cultures.

ZO-1 transcript and protein expression were reduced in biopsy specimens from patients with IBD. Despite mildly increased intestinal permeability, ZO-1^KO.IEC mice were healthy and did not develop spontaneous disease. ZO-1^KO.IEC mice were, however, hypersensitive to mucosal insults and displayed defective repair. Furthermore, ZO-1-deficient colonic epithelia failed to up-regulate proliferation in response to damage in vivo or Wnt signaling in vitro. ZO-1 was associated with centrioles in interphase cells and mitotic spindle poles during division. In the absence of ZO-1, mitotic spindles failed to correctly orient, resulting in mitotic catastrophe and abortive proliferation. ZO-1 is, therefore, critical for up-regulation of epithelial proliferation and successful completion of mitosis.

ZO-1 makes critical, tight junction-independent contributions to Wnt signaling and mitotic spindle orientation. As a result, ZO-1 is essential for mucosal repair. We speculate that ZO-1 down-regulation may be one cause of ineffective mucosal healing in patients with IBD.