MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF CELL BARRIER ASSOCIATED PROTEIN BARMOTIN (7H6 ANTIGEN)

紧密连接位于并置上皮和一类内皮的最上部。紧密连接作为细胞旁通路的屏障，调节离子、小分子和细胞的运输。在本项目中，我们研究了紧密连接相关蛋白的分子方面及其在病理条件下的作用，如幽门螺杆菌引起的细菌性胃炎。为此，我们开发了一种模型来研究紧密连接在人类疾病中的病理作用。使用适应于小鼠胃的幽门螺杆菌的研究揭示了紧密连接对于这些细菌在小鼠胃中的定殖起重要作用。提示胃粘膜细胞旁屏障的上调可能阻止幽门螺杆菌的定植，幽门螺杆菌定植导致嗜酸性胃炎，并与胃癌和淋巴瘤密切相关。我们还阐明了间隙连接分子Cx32对紧密连接相关分子的分子调节作用。这一观察结果为深入研究紧密连接作为细胞间连接复合体的一员是如何发展和调节的提供了机会。

Tight junctions localize uppermost of apposing epithelium and a class of endothelium. Tight junctions serve as a barrier for paracellular pathway and regulate traffics of ion, small molecules and cells. In the present projects, we studied molecular aspects of tight junction related proteins and its role in pathological conditions, such as bacterial gastritis by H.pylori. To perform this, we developed a model to study pathological role of tight junctions in human disease. Study using H.pylori adapted for murine stomach revealed tight junctions play an important role for these bacteria to colonize in the murine stomach. This observation suggests that up-regulation of paracellular barrier of gastric mucosa may prevent H.pylori colonization which leads to neutrophilic gastritis and strongly links to gastric carcinoma and lymphoma. We also elucidated that molecular regulation of tight junction related molecules by gap junction molecule, designated Cx32. This observation has opened up an opportunity to dissect how tight junctions develop and regulate as a member of junctional complex at the cell-cell contacts.