Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

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...
Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Skin-type-dependent development of murine mechanosensory neurons.

Developmental cell·2023
Same author

Neural bases for the genesis and CO<sub>2</sub> therapy of periodic Cheyne-Stokes breathing in neonatal male connexin-36 knockout mice.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2023
Same author

Genetic elimination of rod/cone coupling reveals the contribution of the secondary rod pathway to the retinal output.

Science advances·2022
Same author

Respiratory disturbances and high risk of sudden death in the neonatal connexin-36 knockout mouse.

Physiological reports·2021
Same author

Molecular and functional architecture of the mouse photoreceptor network.

Science advances·2020
Same author

Primary hyperparathyroidism versus familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia: a challenging diagnostic evaluation in an adolescent female.

Annals of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism·2019
Same journal

Evolutionary and Biochemical Perspectives on the Incorporation and Utilization of Selenocysteine.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2026
Same journal

The Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter: From Parts to Signaling Networks.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2026
Same journal

Growth Control and Beyond: Functional Diversity and Regulation of the Hippo Pathway in the Nervous System.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2026
Same journal

Structural Studies of Core Hippo Pathway Components.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2026
Same journal

The Hippo Pathway in Intestinal Regeneration, Fetal Reprogramming, and Tumorigenesis.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2026
Same journal

A Synergy between Genetics and Biochemistry Unravels the Molecular Architecture of the Hippo Signaling Pathway.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 17, 2026

An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay
09:47

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

Published on: February 1, 2019

Gap junctions.

Daniel A Goodenough1, David L Paul

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. dgoodenough@hms.harvard.edu

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|January 13, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gap junctions facilitate cell communication by transferring ions and molecules. Studies reveal diverse functions across tissues, regulated by connexins and innexins, crucial for tissue and organ biology.

More Related Videos

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

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
09:04

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

Published on: January 21, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2026

An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay
09:47

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

Published on: February 1, 2019

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

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
09:04

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

Published on: January 21, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Physiology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Gap junctions are intercellular channels enabling direct cell-to-cell transfer of ions and small molecules.
  • Initially identified in excitable cells (nerve, muscle), they are now recognized in most solid tissue cells.
  • Their evolutionary history highlights adaptation for diverse functions and regulatory mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the diverse functions of gap junctions in tissue and organ biology.
  • To investigate the roles of connexins and innexins in gap junction formation and function.
  • To understand the regulatory mechanisms governing gap-junctional intercellular communication.

Main Methods:

  • Studying mutations in model organisms (flies, worms).
  • Utilizing targeted gene disruption in mice.
  • Analyzing the protein families (connexins, innexins) composing gap junctions.

Main Results:

  • Gap junctions are composed of connexins (chordates) and innexins (precordates).
  • Studies in various organisms revealed a wide diversity of gap junction functions.
  • Multiple regulatory mechanisms control gap-junctional intercellular communication.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junctions play critical roles in tissue and organ biology.
  • The diversity of gap junction functions is shaped by evolutionary adaptation.
  • Connexins and innexins are key protein components mediating these essential cellular interactions.