This gene encodes a member of the claudin family. Claudins are integral membrane proteins and components of tight junction strands. Tight junction strands serve as a physical barrier to prevent solutes and water from passing freely through the paracellular space between epithelial or endothelial cell sheets, and also play critical roles in maintaining cell polarity and signal transductions. This gene is intronless and is clustered with CLDN8 on chromosome 21q22.11.CLDN17 (Claudin 17) is a Protein Coding gene. Among its related pathways are Blood-Brain Barrier and Immune Cell Transmigration: VCAM-1/CD106 Signaling Pathways and Sertoli-Sertoli Cell Junction Dynamics. GO annotations related to this gene include identical protein binding and structural molecule activity. An important paralog of this gene is CLDN8.