DFG-FOR 721

We investigate a family of proteins, which form the tight junction (Zonula occudens) by connecting neighbouring cells of epithelial and endothelial tissues, e.g. gut mucosa, kidney tubules, and blood capillaries. As the name suggests, some tight junctions seal the lateral space betwen epithelial and endothelail cells, but others -- to the surprise of the scientific community -- do the opposite: they form selective channels which pass between neighboring cells from lumen to blood. We aim to clear up the relation between molecular structure and function of the tight junction proteins, their regulatory signal transduction pathways, and the role in diseases associated with barrier defects. Funding period 721/1: 11.2006 - 12.2009; total 1,6 Mio. Euro; period 721/1 overview. Funding period 721/2: 01.2010 - 12.2012; total ~3 Mio. Euro. *Summary* *Publications* *PhD graduates* Overview 721/1 TP 4 Int. conference 2008 Int. conference 2011
Projects
TP 1 Details	Michael Fromm, Salah Amasheh:
		Institute of Clinical Physiology CBF, Charité Berlin
		"Characterization of tight junction proteins as barrier- or channel-formers"
TP 2 Details	Jörg-Dieter Schulzke^1,2, Martin Zeitz²:
		¹Div. of Nutritional Medicine CBF, Charité Berlin; ²Dept. of Gastroenterology CBF, Charite Berlin
		"Tight junction proteins in inflammatory bowel diseases"
TP 3 Details	Otmar Huber^1,(2), Rudolf Tauber²:
		¹Dept. of Biochemistry II, University Jena; ²Central Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry CBF, Charite Berlin
		"Posttranslational modulation of the structure and function of the tight junction"
TP 5 Details	Ingolf Blasig:
		Molecular Cell Physiology, Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP), Berlin
		"Alterations of occludin under oxidative stress and functional analysis of claudin-12"
TP 6 Details	Gerd Krause, Jörg Piontek:
		Structural Bioinformatics & Protein Design, Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP), Berlin
		"Molecular and structural patterns of paracellular tightness by subtype-dependent claudin-claudin interactions in tight junctions"
TP 7 Details	Dorothee Günzel:
		Institute of Clinical Physiology CBF, Charité Berlin
		"Renal claudins and their interactions"
TP 8 Details	Heike Rittner¹, Alexander Brack¹, Michael Fromm²:
		¹Dept. of Anesthesia and Critical Care, University Würzburg; ²Institute of Clinical Physiology CBF, Charité Berlin
		"Tight junction proteins as permeability regulators in the perineurium and the antinociception of perineurally applied pharmaceuticals"
TP 9 Details	Johanna Brandner:
		Dept. of Dermatology, University Hamburg
		"Barrier function of tight junctions in keratinocytes, dermal equivalents and in the skin"
TP Z Details	Michael Fromm¹, Jörg-Dieter Schulzke², Susanne M. Krug¹:
		¹Institute of Clinical Physiology CBF, Charité Berlin; ²Dept. of General Medicine CBF, Charité Berlin
		"Freeze fracture electron microscopy; general duties"