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Expression and localization of tight junction-associated proteins in human hair follicles

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Abstract

Tight junctions (TJ) are barrier-forming intercellular junctions selectively sealing cells and controlling the paracellular pathway. They have been well-characterized in simple epithelia and endothelia but have only recently been described in stratified epithelia such as epidermis, oesophagus and oral mucosa. Various epithelial layers which are partly in morphogenic continuity with the epidermis and develop therefrom during early fetal life, build the human hair follicle. The barrier function of these epithelial layers seems to be important for the universal continuity of the barrier represented by the skin. We show the presence of the TJ proteins ZO-1, occludin, and various claudins in the hair follicle and demonstrate their impressive heterogeneous distribution pattern within a given stratum as well as within its different epithelial layers. Coexpression of the various TJ proteins, arguing for typical TJ structures, can be observed especially in cell layers facing the hair shaft and the stratum corneum, and in addition at the border between the outer and inner root sheaths. Usually they are found in close proximity to desmosomal and adherens junction proteins. The morphological and biological importance of these findings and the possible roles of TJ in hair follicles, e.g. in follicular penetration, are discussed.

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Fig. 1.
Fig. 2a–l.
Fig. 3a, b.
Fig. 4a–e.
Fig. 5a–e.

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Abbreviations

AJ:

Adherens junction

IRS:

Inner root sheath

ORS:

Outer root sheath

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction

TJ:

Tight junction(s)

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Acknowledgements

We thank Birgit Hüsing and Pia Houdek (Hamburg) for excellent technical assistance and Sebastian Schulz for competent photographic work. We also acknowledge Drs Roland Moll (Marburg) and Nikolas Haass (Hamburg) for stimulating discussions and Guido Bruning (Hamburg) for clinical support. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant Mo 644/4-1 to J.M.B., W.W.F. and I.M.).

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  1. Department of Dermatology and Venerology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany

    Johanna M. Brandner, Mareike McIntyre, Sabine Kief, Ewa Wladykowski & Ingrid Moll

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  1. Johanna M. Brandner
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  2. Mareike McIntyre
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  3. Sabine Kief
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  5. Ingrid Moll
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Correspondence to Ingrid Moll.

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J.M.B. and M.M. contributed to this paper equally.

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Brandner, J.M., McIntyre, M., Kief, S. et al. Expression and localization of tight junction-associated proteins in human hair follicles. Arch Dermatol Res 295, 211–221 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-003-0418-3

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