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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...

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...

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...

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...

Tight Junctions

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

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

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

Published on: February 1, 2019

Gap junctions.

Morten Schak Nielsen¹, Lene Nygaard Axelsen, Paul L Sorgen

¹Department of Biomedical Sciences and The Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Comprehensive Physiology

|June 1, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Gap junctions, formed by connexins, are vital for cell communication and coordination in animals. Their complex structure and regulation are crucial for diverse physiological functions and preventing disease.

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Molecular Biology
Physiology

Background:

Gap junctions facilitate intercellular communication, essential for coordinating cells in multicellular organisms.
Connexins form gap junctions, with 21 known in humans, mediating diverse functions beyond simple signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on the structure, regulation, function, and pharmacology of gap junctions.
To illustrate how connexin diversity and regulation impact physiological control and disease.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on connexin structure and function.
Analysis of regulatory mechanisms at transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational levels.
Examination of channel gating and posttranslational modifications influencing activity.

Main Results:

Gap junction function is complex, involving structural rearrangements, channel number, and activity regulation.
Connexin regulation occurs through multiple pathways, including synthesis, degradation, and posttranslational modifications.
Dysregulation of connexin function is linked to various diseases.

Conclusions:

Understanding connexin structure and regulation is key to comprehending cellular coordination.
Gap junctions play critical roles in health, and their dysfunction contributes to disease pathogenesis.
Further research into gap junction pharmacology holds therapeutic potential.