Occludin is a tetraspan integral membrane protein in epithelial and endothelial tight junction (TJ) structures that can contain two extracellular loops. The protein exists in a variety of phosphorylated forms. Phosphorylation is involved in regulating both the localization and the function of Occludin. Expression of Occludin is upregulated by polyunsaturated fatty acids, increasing trans-endothelial cell resistance and reducing cellular permeability to large molecules. The level of Occludin varies greatly depending on tissue, in brain tissue, Occludin is highly expressed at cell-cell contact sites. Non-neural tissues show lower expression and discontinuous distribution. Occludin is a tight junction protein that is a key structural component of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Degradation of Occludin is frequently seen in ischemic stroke and contributes to BBB disruption. Primary antibodies are available purified, or with a selection of fluorescent CF Dyes and other labels. CF Dyes offer exceptional brightness and photostability. Note: Conjugates of blue fluorescent dyes like CF405S and CF405M are not recommended for detecting low abundance targets, because blue dyes have lower fluorescence and can give higher non-specific background than other dye colors.
