视网膜色素上皮细胞间连接完整性的新认识

New insights into the integrity of intercellular junctions between retinal pigment epithelial cells

视网膜色素上皮(RPE)是由一层六角形、高度专业化的色素上皮细胞构成的上皮组织。其顶侧与感光器相互作用,基底侧与Bruch膜和脉络膜毛细血管相连接,以维持视网膜光感受器功能。分布在RPE细胞间的多种连接蛋白是RPE执行正常功能的基础,确保RPE的完整性和生理功能。病理状态下,RPE功能发生异常前首先出现连接蛋白异常,导致细胞间、细胞与基底膜间失去附着,随后出现一系列异常生物行为,如RPE细胞游离、迁移、转分化以及蛋白表达变化等,成为触发诸多眼底疾病的重要原因。本文将近年关于RPE连接复合体在正常和疾病状态中的作用进行概述,通过RPE细胞间连接蛋白的组成和相互关联,阐述其在增生性玻璃体视网膜病变、年龄相关性黄斑变性和糖尿病视网膜病变中的作用。

Retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)is composed of a layer of highly specialized hexagonal pigment epithelial cells.The apical surface of RPE interacts with the photoreceptor,and RPE basal surface interacts with Bruch membrane and choroidal capillaries to maintain the function of retinal photoreceptor.A variety of junction proteins distributed between RPE cells are the basis for RPE to perform normal functions,ensuring the integrity and physiological function of RPE.Under pathological conditions,the abnormal function of RPE is first manifested by the abnormal junctional protein,which leads to the loss of adhesion between cells,cells and basement membrane,and then a series of abnormal biological behaviors,such as dissociation,migration,transdifferentiation and protein expression changes in RPE cells,which have become an important cause of many fundus diseases.The role of RPE junctional complexes during normal and pathological conditions,as well as their role in proliferative vitreoretinopathy,age-related macular degeneration and diabetic vitreoretinopathy was reviewed in this article from the composition and correlation of junctional proteins between RPE cells.