| Autor: |
Apostolova D; Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria., Apostolov G; Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria., Moten D; Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria., Batsalova T; Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria., Dzhambazov B; Department of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. |
| Abstrakt: |
Tight junctions (TJs) are an important component of cellular connectivity. Claudin family proteins, as a constituent of TJs, determine their barrier properties, cell polarity and paracellular permeability. Claudin-12 is an atypical member of the claudin family, as it belongs to the group of non-classical claudins that lack a PDZ-binding domain. It has been shown that claudin-12 is involved in paracellular Ca 2+ transients and it is present in normal and hyperplastic tissues in addition to neoplastic tissues. Dysregulation of claudin-12 expression has been reported in various cancers, suggesting that this protein may play an important role in cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. Some studies have shown that claudin-12 gene functions as a tumor suppressor, but others have reported that overexpression of claudin-12 significantly increases the metastatic properties of various tumor cells. Investigating this dual role of claudin-12 is of utmost importance and should therefore be studied in detail. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the information available to date on claudin-12, including its structure, expression in various tissues and substances that may affect it, with a final focus on its role in cancer. |
