Intestinal tight junction proteins (TJ proteins)

Intestinal tight junction proteins are a complex network of transmembrane and cytosolic proteins, including claudins, occludin, and zonula occludens (ZO) proteins, that form a semi-permeable barrier between intestinal epithelial cells (StatPearls, NBK535377). These proteins regulate the paracellular transport of ions and solutes while preventing the translocation of luminal antigens and pathogens into the systemic circulation (PubMed, 28846513). In diseases like Celiac disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), the integrity of these junctions is compromised, leading to increased intestinal permeability or "leaky gut" (PubMed, 31076401). Therapeutic agents like Larazotide acetate target these components by antagonizing zonulin, a modulator that increases permeability, thereby restoring the intestinal barrier (DrugBank, DB06273). Maintaining the stability of these proteins is crucial for immune homeostasis and preventing chronic inflammatory responses (PubMed, 23426535). This target entry is marked as incorrect because "intestinal mucosa proteins" is an overly broad category encompassing thousands of distinct proteins, whereas "tight junction components" refers to a specific functional complex.

Other names

Tight junction complexZonula occludensParacellular barrier proteinsIntestinal mucosal barrier proteinsApical junctional complex

Tight junction modulation, Zonulin antagonism, Enhancement of epithelial barrier integrity, Regulation of paracellular permeability