Claudin immunolocalization in neonatal mouse epithelial tissues

Emerging evidence supports the notion that claudins (Cldns) are dynamically regulated under normal conditions to respond to the selective permeability requirements of various tissues, and that their expression is developmentally controlled. We describe the localization of those Cldns that we have previously demonstrated to be functionally important in epidermal differentiation and the formation of the epidermal permeability barrier, e.g., Cldn1, Cldn6, Cldn11, and Cldn18, and the presence of Cldn3 and Cldn5 in various neonatal mouse epithelia including the epidermis, nail, oral mucosa, tongue, and stomach. Cldn1 is localized in the differentiated and/or undifferentiated compartments of the epidermis and nail and in the dorsal surface of the tongue and glandular compartment of the stomach but is absent from the oral mucosa and the keratinized compartment of the stomach. Cldn3 is present in the basal cells of the nail matrix and both compartments of the murine stomach but not in the epidermis, oral mucosa, or tongue. Cldn5 is found in the glandular compartment of the stomach but not in the epidermis, nail unit, oral mucosa, forestomach, and tongue. Cldn6, Cldn11, and Cldn18 occur in the differentiating suprabasal compartment of the epidermis, nail, and oral mucosa and in the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the tongue and the keratinized squamous epithelium of the stomach. The simple columnar epithelium of the glandular stomach stains for Cldn18 and reveals a non-membranous pattern for Cldn6 and Cldn11 expression. Our results demonstrate differential Cldn protein profiles in various epithelial tissues and their differentiation stages. Although the molecular mechanisms regulating Cldn expression are unknown, elucidation of their differential localization patterns in tissues with diverse permeability requirements should provide a better understanding of the role of tight junctions in tissue function.