Introduction: Evolution of Ideas on the Tight Junction. Ultrastructure of the Tight Junction. Intercellular Junctions of Invertebrates. Tight Junction Permeability to IONS and Water. The Relationship Between Structure and Function of Tight Junctions. General Themes in Cell-Cell Junctions and Cell Adhesion. Protein Targeting Pathways and Sorting Signals in Epithelial Cells. Mechanisms for Generating Cell Polarity in Epithelial Cells

As the first detailed overview of the subject, Tight Junctions brought together diverse perspectives from leading investigators to provide a multidisciplinary overview of the field. Since its publication in 1992, there has been an explosion of information about tight junctions, particularly in the area of molecular structure, cell and molecular biology, genetics and physiology. The field has advanced so fast and so far that it influences many areas of biology and now has practical implications for pharmacology of drug delivery and understanding a wide range of diseases altering epithelial permeability.