Closing the gap: Tricellulin/α-catenin interaction maintains epithelial integrity at vertices

Abstract

Tricellular junctions play a critical role in regulating epithelial barrier function. In this issue, Cho et al. (2022. J. Cell Biol. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202009037) demonstrate a novel interaction between tricellulin and α-catenin, which connects tricellular junctions to the actomyosin cytoskeleton, thus supporting the epithelial barrier at cell vertices.