Cell biology and protein composition of cardiac gap junctions

The gap junctions that electrically couple mammalian myocardial cells have high (12,000-17,000/micron2)surface densities of channel-containing elements (connexons), undulating surfaces, and approximately hexagonally arrayed connexons disposed in small domains rotated with respect to one another. Optical diffraction combined with image processing of negatively stained isolated rabbit heart gap junctions shows six protein subunits surrounding the cell-to-cell channel and suggestive (but not conclusive) evidence for protein connections between connexons. Biochemical studies indicate that the six identical relative molecular weight (Mr) 47,000 subunits of mammalian cardiac gap junctions differ from liver gap junctions in the presence of a covalently bound Mr 17,500 cytoplasmic surface component that can be visualized electron microscopically in thin-sectioned and freeze-etched hearts. The cytoplasmic surface component is susceptible to cleavage by an alkaline serine protease released from mast cell granules by high ionic strength solutions (0.6 M KI) used to extract myofibrils during gap junction purification. Interlocking of connexons from coupled cells in the gap involves hydrogen bonding between protein subunits of the connexons.