Occludin tyrosine phosphorylation

Occludin phosphorylation may provide a molecular mechanism to control barrier properties. Studies from our group have demonstrated that both VEGF and shear stress induce permeability across endothelial monolayers associated with a rapid phosphorylation of occludin (67,68). The occludin phosphorylation was attenuated by a non-hydrolyzable cAMP analog that also inhibits shear-induced permeability (68). This phosphorylation of occludin appears to be serine or threonine directed since immunoprecipitation of occludin and phosphotyrosine blotting did not reveal any evidence of occludin tyrosine phosphorylation in this cell system (unpublished observation). However, in epithelial cells, evidence of occludin tyrosine phosphorylation exists (69). In addition, others have identified occludin phosphorylation in response to histamine (70) and use of brain extracts has helped identify casein kinase II as an occludin kinase (71). Collectively, this work demonstrates a close association of occludin phosphorylation with permeability. Future studies identifying specific occludin phosphorylation sites, followed by mutational analysis, should reveal the functional significance of occludin phosphorylation. 

Ohtake K, Maeno T, Ueda H, Ogihara M, Natsume H, Morimoto Y (2003) Poly-L-arginine enhances paracellular permeability via serine/threonine phosphorylation of ZO-1 and tyrosine dephosphorylation of occludin in rabbit nasal epithelium. Pharm Res 20 1838-1845. 

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