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Gap Junctions

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 Junctions

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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...

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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
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Utilizing In Vivo Postnatal Electroporation to Study Cerebellar Granule Neuron Morphology and Synapse Development

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Published on: June 9, 2021

Connexin43 and bergmann glial gap junctions in cerebellar function.

Mika Tanaka¹, Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Tatsukawa

¹RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI) Japan.

Frontiers in Neuroscience

|February 20, 2009

Summary

Connexin43 (Cx43) in Bergmann glial cells (BGCs) is not essential for cerebellar motor coordination or learning. Loss of Cx43 in BGCs did not impair these functions, suggesting regional differences in Cx43

Keywords:

Bergmann glia astrocyte conditional knockout mouse connexin43 gap junction

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Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

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Cerebellar Regional Dissection for Molecular Analysis

Cerebellar Regional Dissection for Molecular Analysis

Published on: December 5, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cell Biology
Astrocyte Biology

Background:

Connexin43 (Cx43) is a key component of astrocytic gap junctions, highly expressed in cerebellar Bergmann glial cells (BGCs).
The precise function of Cx43 within BGCs and its role in cerebellar circuits remain largely unelucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of Cx43 in gap junctional coupling between BGCs.
To determine the necessity of Cx43 in BGCs for cerebellar function, including motor coordination and learning.

Main Methods:

Generation of Cx43 conditional knockout mice (Cx43(fl/fl):S100b-Cre) with postnatal loss of Cx43 in BGCs and cerebellar astrocytes.
Assessment of gap junctional coupling using dye coupling.
Electrophysiological recordings and behavioral analyses to evaluate motor coordination and learning.

Main Results:

Cx43 conditional knockout mice exhibited a near-complete abolition of gap junctional coupling between BGCs.
Electrophysiological and behavioral data indicated that Cx43-mediated gap junctions and hemichannels in BGCs are dispensable for cerebellum-dependent motor coordination and learning.
The study highlights potential regional variations in the functional significance of Cx43 loss within the brain.

Conclusions:

Cx43 in Bergmann glial cells is not required for the neuron-glia interactions essential for motor coordination and learning.
These findings suggest that the impact of Cx43 deficiency may differ across various brain regions.
Further research is needed to understand the broader implications of Cx43 function in astrocytes.