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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...
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...
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

In Vitro Culture of Epithelial Cells from Different Anatomical Regions of the Human Amniotic Membrane
10:00

In Vitro Culture of Epithelial Cells from Different Anatomical Regions of the Human Amniotic Membrane

Published on: November 28, 2019

Human amniotic fluid cells form functional gap junctions with cortical cells.

Anna Jezierski1, Kerry Rennie, Roger Tremblay

  • 1Neurogenesis and Brain Repair Group, Neurobiology Program, Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0R6.

Stem Cells International
|July 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Amniotic fluid cells express CX43 and form functional gap junctions, aiding brain repair. This intercellular communication between stem cells and host brain cells is crucial for recovery after injury.

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Published on: November 28, 2019

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08:52

Three-dimensional Tissue Engineered Aligned Astrocyte Networks to Recapitulate Developmental Mechanisms and Facilitate Nervous System Regeneration

Published on: January 10, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Stem cell therapy offers promise for brain injury repair.
  • Amniotic fluid (AF) cells are a potential stem cell source.
  • Functional gap junctions are vital for intercellular communication in neural networks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of AF cells in brain repair.
  • To determine if AF cells can form functional gap junctions with host brain cells.
  • To explore the role of CX43 in AF cell-mediated neural repair.

Main Methods:

  • Assessing CX43 expression in AF cells.
  • Co-culturing AF cells with cortical neurons.
  • Inducing motor cortex injury in mice.
  • Analyzing CX43 expression at the graft-host interface.

Main Results:

  • AF cells express high levels of CX43 (GJA1).
  • AF cells established functional gap junctions with cortical cultures.
  • Cx43 expression was induced in astrocytes post-injury.
  • CX43 expression was observed at the interface between AF cells and host brain cells.

Conclusions:

  • AF cells possess the capacity for functional gap junction formation.
  • CX43-mediated communication between AF cells and astrocytes may aid brain tissue reconstruction.
  • These findings highlight a potential mechanism for AF cell-based therapies in treating brain injuries.