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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...
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...
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...
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...
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply01:24

Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply

Rapidly dividing tumors, embryos, and wounded tissues require more oxygen than usual, lowering the oxygen concentration in the blood. At low oxygen or hypoxic conditions, an oxygen-sensitive transcription factor called the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 or HIF1 is activated. HIF1 is a dimeric protein of alpha (ɑ) and beta (β) subunits.  Under optimal oxygen conditions, HIF1β is present in the nucleus while HIF1ɑ remains in the cytosol. HIF1ɑ is hydroxylated by prolyl hydroxylase and factor...

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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Perturbing Endothelial Biomechanics via Connexin 43 Structural Disruption
09:20

Perturbing Endothelial Biomechanics via Connexin 43 Structural Disruption

Published on: October 4, 2019

Gap junctions in the control of vascular function.

Xavier F Figueroa1, Brian R Duling

  • 1Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. xfigueroa@bio.puc.cl

Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
|October 4, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vascular gap junctions, formed by connexins, coordinate cell function and blood vessel tone. Their altered expression is linked to cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and diabetes.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Cellular Physiology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Direct intercellular communication via gap junctions is crucial for vascular function.
  • Gap junctions in the cardiovascular system are composed of connexin proteins (Cx37, Cx40, Cx43, Cx45).
  • Vascular connexins integrate endothelial and smooth muscle cell functions and are vital in neurovascular coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of connexin-based channels in vascular function.
  • To highlight their involvement in physiological and pathological conditions.
  • To emphasize their significance in hypertension and diabetes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of connexin function in the vasculature.
  • Analysis of connexin roles in cardiovascular development and regulation.
  • Examination of connexin expression in disease states.

Main Results:

  • Vascular connexins coordinate cell functions and are not redundant.
  • Gap junctions facilitate endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) signaling, controlling vasomotor tone.
  • Connexin expression is altered in diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.

Conclusions:

  • Connexin-based channels are essential for regulating vascular function.
  • Dysregulation of connexins contributes to vascular complications in diseases.
  • Understanding connexin roles offers insights into managing cardiovascular pathologies.