Claudin-1 is a member of the claudin family of membrane proteins that form tight junction strands. These strands help control passage between neighbouring cells. Expressing claudin-1 in fibroblasts that lack normal tight junctions can reconstitute strand networks.[ref]
Its physiological importance became especially clear in claudin-1-deficient mice. Their epidermal barrier failed and they lost water rapidly, despite retaining other recognizable skin structures. This showed that a multilayered epidermis still depends on functional tight junctions, rather than deriving all barrier function from the mere presence of many layers.[ref]
Claudin-based tight junctions are crucial for the mammalian epidermal barrier: a lesson from claudin-1-deficient mice by Mikio Furuse and others. 2002, abstract: barrier defect and excessive water loss
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