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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

48.1K
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...
48.1K
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

9.3K
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...
9.3K
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

40.2K
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...
40.2K
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

8.0K
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...
8.0K
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

19.1K
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...
19.1K
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

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Updated: May 3, 2026

Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells
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Connexins, gap junctions and tissue invasion.

Norah Defamie1, Amandine Chepied1, Marc Mesnil1

  • 1Team IP2C, STIM laboratory, University of Poitiers, CNRS ERL 7368, 1 rue Georges Bonnet, B36, 86073 Poitiers Cedex9, France.

FEBS Letters
|January 25, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Understanding how cancer cells invade tissues is key to improving patient survival. This review explores the role of connexins and gap junctions in cancer cell invasion and metastasis.

Keywords:
ConnexinGap junctionInvasion and tumor cellMigration

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Metastasis significantly worsens cancer patient survival.
  • The molecular mechanisms driving cancer cell invasion remain incompletely understood.
  • Cancer cell evasion from the primary tumor is the critical first step in metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between gap junctions, connexins, and the acquisition of an invasive cancer cell phenotype.
  • To explore the emerging roles of connexins and gap junctions in tissue invasion.

Main Methods:

  • This is a review article, synthesizing existing research.
  • Focuses on the molecular and cellular transformations associated with cancer cell invasion.
  • Examines the known involvement of gap junctional intercellular communication in cancer.

Main Results:

  • Cancer cell invasion involves down-regulation of cell-cell adhesion and modification of cell-matrix adhesion.
  • Invasive cells acquire proteolytic properties and activate stromal cells to facilitate motility.
  • Emerging evidence suggests connexins and gap junctions play a role in these invasive transformations.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junctions and their protein components, connexins, are implicated in the development of cancer cell invasiveness.
  • Further research into connexins and gap junctions may reveal new therapeutic targets for preventing metastasis.