Correlation between the destruction of tight junction by patulin treatment and increase of phosphorylation of ZO-1 in Caco-2 human colon cancer cells

► TER of Caco-2 cells decreased during the treatment with 50 μM patulin. ► The TJ proteins ZO-1 and claudin-4, decreased after 24 h from the cell-cell contact regions. ► The level of ZO-1 decreased after 48 h of patulin treatment. ► Phosphorylation of ZO-1 was detected by 24 h and increased markedly after 72 h. ► Interaction of ZO-1 with claudin-4 and occludin had decreased after 48 h. ► Phosphorylation caused the degradation of ZO-1 protein and the decrease in TER.