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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

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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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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.
Gap Junctions
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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.
Occluding or Tight...
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Overview of Cell Signaling01:23

Overview of Cell Signaling

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Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
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Single-cell Microinjection for Cell Communication Analysis
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Cell communication across gap junctions: a historical perspective and current developments.

W Howard Evans1

  • 1*Wales Heart Research Institute and Institute of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, CF11 4XN Wales, U.K.

Biochemical Society Transactions
|May 27, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gap junctions (GJs) facilitate direct cell-to-cell communication. Research over 60 years has elucidated connexin (Cx) protein structures, functions, and roles in diseases like ischemia, with ongoing efforts in tissue repair.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Gap junctions (GJs) are crucial for direct cell-to-cell communication in multicellular organisms.
  • Discovered in the 1960s, GJs involve connexin (Cx) proteins forming hexameric hemichannels (connexons).
  • The Cx family has 20-21 conserved members in humans and mice, with related proteins like pannexins and innexins identified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a historical overview of gap junction research.
  • To detail the structural and functional characterization of connexin proteins.
  • To highlight the role of GJs in disease and potential therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Biochemical and anatomical studies for initial discovery.
  • Recombinant technology for protein sequencing (e.g., Cx32).
  • Structural biology approaches (crystallography, cryo-EM) for high-resolution imaging.

Main Results:

  • Identification and characterization of key connexin proteins (Cx32, Cx43, Cx26).
  • Elucidation of the tetraspan membrane organization and connexon formation.
  • Confirmation of GJ structure and ongoing efforts for higher resolution.
  • Mapping of GJ research progress over six decades.

Conclusions:

  • Connexin channel structure and function are well-established, with ongoing research into higher resolution.
  • Dysfunctions in connexin channels are linked to various diseases.
  • Therapeutic strategies targeting connexin channels show promise for conditions like ischemia and tissue repair.