How tight junctions might prevent small charged solutes from entering the brain (across the blood~brain barrier) was made clear by our previous model of tight junction structure based on a lipidic backbone. This model has been discussed and elaborated in several publications in recent years. A new study of the gap junctions in murine cells by freeze~fracture and freeze~substitution has been completed showing that these gap junctions show considerable structural diversity, falling into there types. One type is so aberrant from typical gap junction structure as to question its categorization as an electrotonic junction. These findings are in press and this project is expected to be in abeyance through the next year.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01NS001442-27
Application #
3782285
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
27
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code