Claudin 5 (CLDN5)

Claudin-5 is 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. Mutations in this gene have been found in patients with velocardiofacial syndrome. The gene, termed transmembrane protein deleted in velocardiofacial syndrome (TMVCF), encodes a 219-amino acid protein with a predicted mass of 23 kD. The amino acid sequence has strong homology to the rat RVP.1 (rat ventral prostate) protein, a prostate-specific protein whose function is unknown. Computer analyses predicted 2 transmembrane domains.