ZO1 (Zona occludens 1) [R40.76]

ZO-1 is a junctional adaptor protein that interacts with multiple other junctional components, including the transmembrane proteins of the claudin and JAM families.The alpha-containing isoform is found in most epithelial cell junctions. The short isoform is found both in endothelial cells and the highly specialized epithelial junctions of renal glomeruli and Sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubules.The N-terminal may be involved in transducing a signal required for tight junction assembly, while the C-terminal may have specific properties of tight junctions. The alpha domain might be involved in stabilizing junctions.