Occludin modulates organization of perijunctional circumferential actin in rat endothelial cells.

The tight junction is not a constitutional junctional apparatus in endothelial cells, but develops in a particular lineage of endothelia, such as the capillary endothelia in the brain and retina, and thus is considered to be pivotal for the maintenance of the blood-tissue barrier. Occludin is an integral membrane component of tight junctions, but the role of occludin in the endothelial cell function remains to be elucidated. We have cloned and transfected rat full-length occludin cDNA into a rat endothelial cell line (RLE) that expressed only a trace amount of occludin with no fine circumferential actin bundles at the cell border in native conditions.