Bovine Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Cells (BPAE Line)

When present in the body, endothelial cells are usually elongate in shape and arranged with their long axes in parallel orientation with the blood flow direction. Two different types of connections, known as gap junctions and tight junctions, link the cells closely together. Adjacent endothelial cells are able to communicate via gap junctions, which allow small molecules and ions to pass directly from one cell to another. Tight junctions, however, function as barriers to the diffusion of most molecules. A tight junction forms a band around the entire circumference of a cell.