The protoplasmic or exoplasmic face association of tight junction particles cannot predict paracellular permeability or heterotypic claudin compatibility

Claudins constitute tight junction (TJ) strands and regulate paracellular permeability, which varies in the epithelial cells of various organs. Heterotypic claudin compatibility and/or the association of TJ particles to either the protoplasmic (P) or exoplasmic (E) face may be related to paracellular permeability. This study examined the relationship between the TJ morphology, heterotypic claudin compatibility and paracellular permeability using claudin-10b- or claudin-15-expressing HEK293 cells and MDCK I cells. Claudin-10b or -15 expressed in TJ-free HEK293 cells formed E-face- or P-face-associated TJ particles, respectively. The coculture of claudin-1-expressing HEK293 cells and either claudin-10b- or claudin-15-expressing HEK293 cells showed that claudin-10b and -15 were not compatible with claudin-1. The expression of claudin-10b or -15 in high-resistance MDCK I cells did not alter the expression of endogenous claudins except for claudin-3 and dramatically reduced transepithelial electrical resistance by increasing the permeability of Na+ but it did not change that of Cl−. The expression of claudin-10b or -15 in MDCK I cells either decreased or increased the flux of 4 kDa dextran, respectively. The coculture of MDCK I cells and either claudin-10b- or claudin-15-expressing MDCK I cells showed claudin-10b to be partly compatible, while claudin-15 was incompatible with the endogenous claudins in MDCK I cells. These results indicate that the TJ morphology cannot predict the properties of either paracellular permeability or heterotypic claudin compatibility.