JCB logo
Sign up for e-mail content alerts
  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents
Published online 2 June 2003. doi:10.1083/jcb.200303192
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow PDF (Full Text)
Right arrow PPT slides of all figures
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new content in the JCB
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Schulte, J.
Right arrow Articles by Auld, V. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Schulte, J.
Right arrow Articles by Auld, V. J.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
© The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525/2003/6/991 $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 161, Number 5, 991-1000

Article

 Gliotactin, a novel marker of tricellular junctions, is necessary for septate junction development in Drosophila

Joost Schulte1, Ulrich Tepass2 and Vanessa J. Auld1

1 Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
2 Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G5, Canada

Address correspondence to Vanessa J. Auld, Dept. of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada. Tel.: 604-822-1977. Fax: 604-822-2416. E-mail: auld{at}zoology.ubc.ca

Septate junctions (SJs), similar to tight junctions, function as transepithelial permeability barriers. Gliotactin (Gli) is a cholinesterase-like molecule that is necessary for blood–nerve barrier integrity, and may, therefore, contribute to SJ development or function. To address this hypothesis, we analyzed Gli expression and the Gli mutant phenotype in Drosophila epithelia. In Gli mutants, localization of SJ markers neurexin-IV, discs large, and coracle are disrupted. Furthermore, SJ barrier function is lost as determined by dye permeability assays. These data suggest that Gli is necessary for SJ formation. Surprisingly, Gli distribution only colocalizes with other SJ markers at tricellular junctions, suggesting that Gli has a unique function in SJ development. Ultrastructural analysis of Gli mutants supports this notion. In contrast to other SJ mutants in which septa are missing, septa are present in Gli mutants, but the junction has an immature morphology. We propose a model, whereby Gli acts at tricellular junctions to bind, anchor, or compact SJ strands apically during SJ development.

Key Words: epidermis; epithelial cells; electrotactin; neuroligin; neurexin

* Abbreviations used in this paper: AJ, adherens junction; arm, Armadillo; ß-Gal, ß-galactosidase; BNB, blood–nerve barrier; Cora, coracle; Dlg, discs large; Dnl, Drosophila neuroligin; Gli, gliotactin; IMP, intermembrane particle; Nrx, neurexin-IV; PDZ, PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1; pSJ, pleated SJ; Scrib, scribble; SJ, septate junction; sSJ, smooth SJ; TCD, tricellular channel diaphragm; TCP, tricellular plug; TEM, transmission EM; TJ, tight junction.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Related Article

Conjunctions of junctions
Alan W. Dove
J. Cell Biol. 2003 161: 832. [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:



  Home | Help | Feedback | Subscriptions | Archive | Search | Table of Contents