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Image analysis of gap junction structures.

¹Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254.

Electron Microscopy Reviews

|January 1, 1992

Summary

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Isolated gap junction plaques, composed of connexons, are ideal for electron crystallography. Image analysis reveals lattice and connexon disorder, creating related images that can be interpreted using connexon and connexin protein knowledge.

Area of Science:

Cell biology
Structural biology
Biophysics

Background:

Gap junctions mediate cell-to-cell communication.
Connexons form channels within gap junction plaques.
These structures are amenable to electron crystallography.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the interpretation of electron crystallography images of gap junction lattices.
To relate image variations to connexon and connexin protein structure.
To understand the structural basis of gap junction function.

Main Methods:

Electron crystallography of isolated gap junction plaques.
Image analysis of lattice and connexon structures.
Interpretation of crystalline array disorder.

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Main Results:

Gap junction lattices exhibit sufficient order for structural analysis (~25 A resolution).
Disorder in lattice and connexons generates a family of related images.
Image interpretation is feasible based on connexon and connexin knowledge.

Conclusions:

Electron crystallography provides insights into connexon structure.
Understanding connexon and connexin protein structure is key to interpreting gap junction images.
This approach aids in elucidating the structural dynamics of cell communication.