Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

An Optogenetic Method to Control and Analyze Gene Expression Patterns in Cell-to-cell Interactions
07:59

An Optogenetic Method to Control and Analyze Gene Expression Patterns in Cell-to-cell Interactions

Published on: March 22, 2018

Oxidative-dependent integration of signal transduction with intercellular gap junctional communication in the control

Brad L Upham1, James E Trosko

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA. upham@msu.edu

Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
|October 7, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Oxidative stress impacts gene expression via cell signaling. This study proposes a systems biology approach, incorporating gap junctions, to understand how reactive oxygen species (ROS) reversibly control cellular communication and gene expression, crucial for tissue homeostasis.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Systems Biology

Background:

  • Oxidative stress research traditionally focused on reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing direct cellular damage.
  • Chronic diseases often stem from altered gene expression rather than direct cellular necrosis.
  • Cell signaling pathways regulate gene expression and maintain tissue homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how ROS reversibly control gene expression through cell signaling mechanisms.
  • To introduce a comprehensive systems biology approach to oxidative signaling.
  • To investigate the role of gap junctional intercellular communication in oxidative signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing research on oxidative stress and cell signaling.
  • Hypothesis formulation regarding the role of gap junctions in oxidative signaling.
  • Systems biology conceptual framework integrating intercellular communication.

Main Results:

  • Reactive oxygen species (ROS) reversibly regulate gene expression via cell signaling.
  • Gap junctions are proposed as critical modulators of second messengers in oxidative signal transduction.
  • Aberrant gap junctions are implicated in various human diseases.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive understanding of oxidative signaling requires a systems biology approach.
  • Gap junctional intercellular communication is vital for coordinating gene expression and maintaining tissue homeostasis.
  • Future research should integrate gap junction function into models of oxidative stress and disease.

More Related Videos

An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay09:47

An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay

Published on: February 1, 2019

Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products05:27

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

Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses01:22

Diversity in Cell Signaling Responses

The physiological function of a cell and cellular communication are outcomes of a range of extrinsic signals, intracellular signaling pathways, and cellular responses. No two cell types express the same repertoire of signaling components. Receptors are highly selective for their cognate ligands, but once activated, they can alter multiple cellular processes such as DNA transcription, protein synthesis, and metabolic activity. 
Graded and Abrupt Responses
Some signaling systems generate...
Signal Transduction: Overview01:26

Signal Transduction: Overview

Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. They respond to chemical signals, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling molecules, initiating a series of molecular reactions to produce an appropriate response. This is called signal transduction. Cells also coordinate different responses elicited by the same signaling molecule via mediators, allowing molecular cross-talk.
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...