A tight junction (TJ) makes a physical barrier in the epidermal cells of skin. Ultraviolet (UV) light may disrupt the TJ barrier, but the mechanism has not been well clarified. Weak UVB (5 mJ/cm2) caused mislocalization of claudin-1 (CLDN1), a component of the TJ strand, and disruption of TJ barrier in human keratinocyte-derived HaCaT cells. The UVB-induced mislocalization of CLDN1 was inhibited by monodansylcadaverine (MDC), a clathrin-dependent endocytosis inhibitor, suggesting that UVB enhances the internalization of CLDN1. Transepidermal electrical resistance and paracellular flux of lucifer yellow, a fluorescent hydrophilic marker, were rescued by MDC. UVB changed neither the total nor phosphorylation levels of CLDN1, but it increased both mono-ubiquitination and tyrosine nitration levels of CLDN1. Fluorescence measurements revealed that UVB increased intracellular free Ca2+, nitric oxide (NO), and peroxynitrite contents, which were inhibited by Opsin2 (OPN2) siRNA, suggesting that OPN2 functions as a UVB sensor. The effects of UVB were inhibited by an antagonist of transient receptor potential type vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and Ca2+ chelator. Both NO donor and peroxynitrite donor induced the mislocalization of CLDN1 and disruption of TJ barrier, which were rescued by a NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor and a peroxynitrite scavenger. Weak UVB irradiation induced the disruption of TJ barrier mediated by mislocalization of CLDN1 in HaCaT cells. The OPN2/TRPV1/NOS signaling pathway may be a novel target for preventing destruction of the TJ barrier by UVB irradiation.
Keywords: claudin-1; mislocalization; nitration; nitric oxide.