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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

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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...
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Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

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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...
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Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

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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.
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Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

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Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

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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.
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Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

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Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
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Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
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Gap junctions in C. elegans.

Karina T Simonsen1, Donald G Moerman2, Christian C Naus1

  • 1Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Frontiers in Physiology
|February 28, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans utilizes innexins to form gap junctions for cell communication. This model organism offers insights into the diverse functions of intercellular communication via gap junctions.

Keywords:
C. elegansgap junctionsinnexinsintercellular communication

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Multicellular organisms, including the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, use gap junctions for direct cell-to-cell communication.
  • Nematode gap junctions are formed by innexins, which are structurally and functionally similar to connexins despite lacking sequence homology.
  • Caenorhabditis elegans possesses 25 innexin genes expressed across most cell types, with dynamic developmental patterns and essential roles for several innexins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism for studying gap junction-mediated intercellular communication.
  • To highlight the significance of innexins in nematode biology and their role in cellular communication.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism with its well-characterized genetics and anatomy.
  • Investigating the expression patterns and essential functions of innexins during nematode development.

Main Results:

  • Innexins form gap junctions in Caenorhabditis elegans, facilitating intercellular communication.
  • The 25 innexin genes in C. elegans are widely expressed and crucial for development, with dynamic expression patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Caenorhabditis elegans serves as a valuable model for understanding the diverse functions of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication.
  • Innexins play critical roles in nematode development and cellular connectivity, offering insights into conserved biological processes.