Tight junction dysfunction in the stratum granulosum leads to aberrant stratum corneum barrier function in claudin-1-deficient mice

T Sugawara, N Iwamoto, M Akashi, T Kojima… - Journal of …, 2013 - Elsevier
BACKGROUND: Tight junctions (TJs) contribute to the epithelial barrier function by
preventing leakage of solutes through the intercellular space. In the skin, TJs occur in the
stratum granulosum (SG), where claudin-1 and claudin-4 are expressed as adhesion
molecules of TJs. Claudin-1-deficient (Cldn1−/−) mice die within one day of birth
accompanied by excessive transepidermal water loss, indicating a critical role of TJs in the
epidermal barrier function. However, it has been debated whether the impaired TJ function …