This gene encodes a member of the membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) family of proteins, and acts as a tight junction adaptor protein that also regulates adherens junctions. Tight junctions regulate the movement of ions and macromolecules between endothelial and epithelial cells. The multidomain structure of this scaffold protein, including a postsynaptic density 95/disc-large/zona occludens (PDZ) domain, a Src homology (SH3) domain, a guanylate kinase (GuK) domain and unique (U) motifs all help to co-ordinate binding of transmembrane proteins, cytosolic proteins, and F-actin, which are required for tight junction function. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2017]
