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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...
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
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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 Signaling01:23

Overview of Cell Signaling

Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...

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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
05:27

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

Gap-junction-mediated cell-to-cell communication.

Jean-Claude Hervé1, Mickaël Derangeon

  • 1Institut de Physiologie et Biologie Cellulaires, FRE3511, Université de Poitiers, CNRS, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, Poitiers, 86022, France. Jean.Claude.Herve@univ-poitiers.fr

Cell and Tissue Research
|September 4, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gap junctions, direct cell-to-cell communication channels, are vital for multicellular life. These channels, formed by connexins and pannexins, regulate cell function and are implicated in numerous diseases.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Multicellular organisms rely on cell communication for survival and function.
  • Direct cytoplasmic exchange occurs via intercellular channels, forming gap junctions.
  • Gap junctions are composed of hemichannels, which are hexamers of junctional proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structure and function of gap junctions.
  • To highlight the roles of connexins and pannexins in intercellular communication.
  • To discuss the gating mechanisms and permeability regulation of gap junctions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of gap junction research.
  • Analysis of protein structures (connexins, pannexins, innexins).
  • Examination of functional studies on channel gating and permeability.

Main Results:

  • Gap junctions facilitate direct ion and small molecule exchange between adjacent cells.
  • Connexins and pannexins form hemichannels, crucial for both cell-cell and cell-extracellular communication.
  • Gap junction channels possess sophisticated gating mechanisms, responding to biological stimuli.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junctions are essential for homeostasis, morphogenesis, and growth control.
  • Dysfunction of gap junctions is linked to various diseases.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex mechanisms governing gap junction function.