Cldn16 - claudin 16

This gene encodes a member of the claudin family. Claudins are integral membrane proteins and components of tight junction strands. Tight junction strands serve as a physical barrier to prevent solutes and water from passing freely through the paracellular space between epithelial or endothelial cell sheets, and also play critical roles in maintaining cell polarity and signal transductions. The protein encoded by this gene is critical for renal paracellular epithelial transport of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) in the thick ascending loop of Henle. The gene deficiency leads to specific alterations in renal Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) balance and also to disturbances in Na(+) handling. The interaction of this gene and the Cldn 19 gene is required for their assembly into tight junctions and for renal Mg(2+) reabsorption. This gene and the Cldn1 gene are clustered on chromosome 16. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2010]