Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Gap junction structures. VIII. Membrane cross-sections.

G E Sosinsky1, J C Jésior, D L Caspar

  • 1Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02254.

Biophysical Journal
|May 1, 1988
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

STRUCTURE OF FILAMENTOUS BACTERIOPHAGE Pf1.

Biophysical journal·2009
Same author

Gap Junction Structures: III. The Effect of Variations in the Isolation Procedure.

Biophysical journal·2009
Same author

Claudin-8 interacts with multi-PDZ domain protein 1 (MUPP1) and reduces paracellular conductance in epithelial cells.

Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)·2003
Same author

Prenatal lens development in connexin43 and connexin50 double knockout mice.

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science·2001
Same author

Disordered to ordered folding in the regulation of diphtheria toxin repressor activity.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2001
Same author

Molecular cloning, expression analysis, and functional characterization of connexin44.1: a zebrafish lens gap junction protein.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2001
Same journal

Anisotropic unbinding and location-dependent hovering of a kinesin motor head over microtubule.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Kinesin-5/Cut7 C-terminal tail phosphorylation influence on motor regulation through multi-scale molecular modeling.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Dynamic conformations of fluorophores on self-labeling protein tags.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Different actions of RyR2 open and closed channel block explained by a multiscale Ca<sup>2+</sup> release model.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Membrane Environment Sets the Functional pK<sub>a</sub> of Ionizable Lipids.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same journal

Distinguishable spreading dynamics in microbial communities.

Biophysical journal·2026
See all related articles

Electron irradiation significantly thins gap junction membranes, but the hexagonal lattice remains intact. Gap junction structure is well-preserved despite radiation-induced changes.

Area of Science:

  • Structural biology
  • Biophysics
  • Electron microscopy

Background:

  • Gap junctions mediate cell-to-cell communication.
  • Understanding their structural integrity under experimental conditions is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of electron irradiation on gap junction structure.
  • To analyze structural changes using high-resolution imaging techniques.

Main Methods:

  • Grid sectioning of negatively stained gap junctions.
  • Analysis of edge views from various specimen preparations.
  • Image averaging utilizing lattice symmetry.

Main Results:

  • Electron irradiation caused significant membrane thinning, reducing thickness by approximately half.

Related Experiment Videos

  • No shrinkage was observed in the hexagonal lattice plane of the gap junctions.
  • Variations in stain distribution within the gap were independent of irradiation but dependent on staining conditions and connexon integrity.
  • Radiation-induced shrinkage is attributed to mass loss from the membrane bilayer.

    • Conclusions:

    • Gap junction membranes are sensitive to electron irradiation, leading to thinning.
    • The hexagonal lattice structure of gap junctions is remarkably stable under irradiation.
    • The gap structure itself remains well-preserved, indicating resilience to experimental conditions.