The process of right junction degradation was followed in a cell line of human colon adenocarcinoma.

Tight junctions are degraded by 2 mechanisms: (1) breakdown of junctional elements to intramembrane particles; (2) bleb formation by which tight-junctional elements are internalized into the cytoplasm or excluded into the medium. It is suggested that the first mechanism allows preservation of membrane particles for re-use, whereas the second is a mechanism by which the cells eliminate unneeded junctional elements.

© 1979 by Company of Biologists
1979
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