Year: 2015
Type: review
Abstract: Unique intercellular junctional complexes between the central nervous system (CNS) microvascular endothelial cells and the choroid plexus epithelial cells form the endothelial blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the epithelial blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), respectively. These barriers inhibit paracellular diffusion, thereby protecting the CNS from fluctuations in the blood. Studies of brain barrier integrity during development, normal physiology, and disease have focused on BBB and BCSFB tight junctions but not the corresponding endothelial and epithelial adherens junctions. The crosstalk between adherens junctions and tight junctions in maintaining barrier integrity is an understudied area that may represent a promising target for influencing brain barrier function.
Source: The Journal of Cell Biology
Authors: Silvia Tietz, Britta Engelhardt
Institution: University of Bern
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W1929386789