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Gap Junctions

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...

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...

Contact-dependent Signaling

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-Cell Junctions

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 Junctions

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...

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.

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

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[Effect of cell microenvironment on cell functions associated with tumour promotion and progression].

Tsitologiia·2014

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[Ah receptor-independent inhibition of gap junction intercellular communications in hepatoma cell culture 27 by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons].

Tsitologiia·2009

Same author

[Effect of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on gap junction intercellular communication in hepatoma Hep G2 cell culture].

Tsitologiia·2003

Same author

[Regulation of intercellular contacts in cultured cells transfected with the connexin Cx32 gene].

Molekuliarnaia biologiia·1995

Same author

[Highly permeable contacts and electrical characteristics of the tissue of the normal liver and hepatomas. III. Absence of an effect of the tumor promoter phenobarbital on intercellular contacts in the mouse liver].

Tsitologiia·1988

Same author

[Synthesis of alpha-fetoprotein and highly permeable intercellular contacts in cultures of adult mouse hepatocytes].

Doklady Akademii nauk SSSR·1987

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis

Published on: February 26, 2017

[Intercellular interactions through gap junctions in embryonic stem cells].

Iu Iu Sharovskaia

|March 30, 2011

Summary

Researchers investigated how local intercellular interactions influence embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation. This ongoing project explores key mechanisms in stem cell biology.

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Stem Cell Biology
Cellular Interactions

Context:

Focuses on the final research project of Levon Mikhailovich Chailakhyan.
Initiated in 2008, involving researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences and Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Examines spontaneous multitissue differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Purpose:

To elucidate the role of local intercellular interactions.
To understand mechanisms maintaining embryonic stem cell pluripotency.
To investigate spontaneous multitissue differentiation processes.

Summary:

The research investigates the critical role of local intercellular communication in preserving the self-renewal capacity of embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
It explores how these interactions guide the spontaneous differentiation of ESCs into various tissue types.

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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

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

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

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

Published on: October 18, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis

Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis

Published on: February 26, 2017

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

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

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

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

Published on: October 18, 2014

The project, initiated by Levon Mikhailovich Chailakhyan, continues to yield insights into stem cell behavior.

Impact:

Provides foundational knowledge for stem cell therapies.
Contributes to understanding early development and tissue formation.
Highlights the importance of microenvironmental cues in stem cell fate determination.