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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...
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...
Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
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...

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Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells
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Calcium and connexin-based intercellular communication, a deadly catch?

Elke Decrock1, Mathieu Vinken, Mélissa Bol

  • 1Department of Basic Medical Sciences - Physiology Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.

Cell Calcium
|May 31, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Calcium (Ca2+) acts as a cell death messenger, spreading signals between cells via gap junctions. This review explores the link between intercellular communication, Ca2+ signaling, and cell death pathways.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Calcium ions (Ca2+) are crucial intracellular messengers regulating diverse cellular functions, including cell death.
  • Intercellular communication, particularly through gap junction channels, plays a significant role in propagating cell death signals.
  • Hemichannels, a component of gap junctions, also contribute to intercellular communication and may influence cell death.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of the connection between intercellular communication and Ca2+ signaling in cell death.
  • To explore the role of Ca2+ as a mediator of cell death at both intracellular and intercellular levels.
  • To discuss the potential involvement of Ca2+ and its messengers in intercellular cell death signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating Ca2+ signaling, gap junctions, hemichannels, and cell death.
  • Analysis of evidence supporting the role of Ca2+ in intercellular communication and cell death.
  • Examination of the molecular mechanisms underlying Ca2+-dependent cell death mediated by intercellular communication.

Main Results:

  • Ca2+ signals can mediate both cell death and cell survival signals between adjacent cells via gap junctions.
  • Hemichannels facilitate the passage of substances between intracellular and extracellular environments, potentially contributing to cell death.
  • Ca2+ or inositol trisphosphate are implicated as intercellular cell death molecules, though direct evidence is pending.
  • Connexin and pannexin proteins, forming hemichannels, may influence Ca2+-dependent cell death independently of channel activity.

Conclusions:

  • There is a strong, albeit indirect, link between intercellular communication, Ca2+ signaling, and cell death.
  • Ca2+ is a central player in cell death, acting both intracellularly and intercellularly.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of Ca2+-mediated intercellular cell death signaling.