CLDN15

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. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jun 2010]

Claudin 15

Claudins function as major constituents of the tight junction complexes that regulate the permeability of epithelia. While some claudin family members function as impermeable barriers, others mediate the permeability to ions and small molecules. Often, several claudin family members are coexpressed and interact with each other, and this determines the overall permeability. CLDN15 forms tight junctions that mediate the paracellular transport of small monovalent cations along a concentration gradient, due to selective permeability for Na+, Li+ and K+ ions, but selects against Cl- ions. Plays an important role in paracellular Na+ transport in the intestine and in Na+ homeostasis. Required for normal Na+-dependent intestinal nutrient uptake.

Bicellular tight junction assembly Source: GO_Central
Calcium-independent cell-cell adhesion via plasma membrane cell-adhesion molecules Source: UniProtKB
Cell adhesion Source: GO_Central
Ion transport Source: UniProtKB-KW

Cell membrane; Tight junction. Tight junctions form continuous circumferential cell-cell contacts at the borders of apical and lateral cell membranes that seal the intercellular space and show up as strand-like structures in electron microscopy.

Cytoplasmic: 1
Helical: 2-24
Extracellular: 25-74
Helical: 75-99
Cytoplasmic: 100-115
Helical: 116-140
Extracellular: 141-159
Helical: 160-182
Cytoplasmic: 183-228

Palmitoylated.