Cldn4 - claudin 4

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 a high-affinity receptor for clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) produced by the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, and the interaction with CPE results in increased membrane permeability by forming small pores in plasma membrane. This protein augments alveolar epithelial barrier function and is induced in acute lung injury. It is highly expressed in pancreatic and ovarian cancers. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2010]