ABSTRACT
The tight junction of intestinal epithelium plays an important role in maintaining the function of intestinal barrier and regulating the cell differentiation. The intestinal epithelial cells interact with neighboring cells and the extracellular matrix and then affect the epithelial barrier as well as the proliferation, polarization, and apoptosis of cells. As an important cell junction, the tight junction of intestinal epithelium participates in a series of signal transduction pathways including the classic cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A-cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding, inositol trisphosphate, Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and in some special pathways including zonula occludents protein 1-associated Y-box factor,cyclin related protein, phosphorylation, and methylation. Furthermore, regulations of gene and protein expression of the tight junction are also complex, while disorders of such regulations may lead to clinical diseases, such as disruption of the intestinal barrier, refractory infection, and even cancers. This article reviews the research advances in gene expressions, related signal transduction, and self-regulation in the tight junction of intestinal epithelium.