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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

The cytoplasm of adjacent animal cells can exchange small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers via the communication channels which form the gap junctions. These junctions comprise a few hundred to thousands of molecular channels, each made of two halves, called the connexon hemichannel. A connexon is a hexamer of six transmembrane connexin proteins, which assemble radially, thus forming a pore or channel in the center. One connexon hemichannel docks with a corresponding connexon on the...
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

The complex three-dimensional arrangement of cells in any multicellular organism is defined and maintained by interactions of cells with each other and the extracellular matrix. Cell-cell junctions are specialized structures where the multi-protein complexes on one cell interact with the multi-protein complexes on another  cell. These cell junctions are classified  into three main types based on their function — occluding, anchoring, and gap junctions.
Occluding or Tight Junctions
Tight...
Notch Signaling Pathway03:14

Notch Signaling Pathway

The Notch signaling pathway is a major intracellular signaling pathway that is highly conserved over a broad spectrum of metazoan species. It stands unique from other intracellular signaling mechanisms in animals because notch protein itself acts as the receptor as well as the primary signaling molecule.
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not until 1985...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

A Functional Assay for Gap Junctional Examination; Electroporation of Adherent Cells on Indium-Tin Oxide
11:02

A Functional Assay for Gap Junctional Examination; Electroporation of Adherent Cells on Indium-Tin Oxide

Published on: October 18, 2014

The stage-specific function of gap junctions during tumourigenesis.

Jarosław Czyz1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30-378, Kraków, Poland. jaro@mol.uj.edu.pl

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
|October 30, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Tumour development involves altered cell functions. This review explores how gap junctional communication, influenced by connexins, impacts tumour invasion and metastasis.

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Analysis of Protein-protein Interactions and Co-localization Between Components of Gap, Tight, and Adherens Junctions in Murine Mammary Glands
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Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products
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Published on: December 25, 2016

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Published on: October 18, 2014

Analysis of Protein-protein Interactions and Co-localization Between Components of Gap, Tight, and Adherens Junctions in Murine Mammary Glands
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Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products
05:27

Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products

Published on: December 25, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Tumour development arises from disrupted cellular functions like proliferation, adhesion, and motility.
  • Gap junctional coupling, crucial for intercellular communication, is often impaired in neoplastic cells, with decreased connexin expression.
  • The precise role of gap junctional communication in tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of connexins' role in tumorigenesis.
  • To explore the mechanisms by which gap junctional coupling influences tumour invasion and metastasis.
  • To reconcile conflicting data on connexin expression in metastatic versus primary tumour cells.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on connexins, gap junctions, and cancer.
  • Analysis of data regarding connexin expression levels in various tumour types and stages.
  • Synthesis of findings on the functional impact of altered gap junctional coupling on cellular behaviour.

Main Results:

  • Neoplastic cells typically exhibit reduced connexin expression and gap junctional coupling, potentially promoting tumour initiation.
  • Conversely, some metastatic tumour cell lines show high connexin expression and coupling, suggesting a complex role.
  • Impaired intercellular communication may release cells from tissue control, facilitating tumour promotion.

Conclusions:

  • Connexins and gap junctional coupling play a multifaceted role in tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis.
  • Altered intercellular communication through gap junctions is a key factor in cancer progression.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying connexin involvement in cancer metastasis.