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Gap Junctions01:27

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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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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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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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Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
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Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes
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Gap junctions - guards of excitability.

Line Waring Stroemlund1, Christa Funch Jensen1, Klaus Qvortrup2

  • 1*Department of Biomedical Sciences and The Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Biochemical Society Transactions
|May 27, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Intercalated discs (IDs) in heart cells are crucial for electrical signaling. The protein connexin 43 (Cx43) organizes microtubules within IDs, regulating sodium channel delivery and impacting heart electrical disturbances.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cardiomyocytes form electrical and mechanical connections at intercalated discs (IDs).
  • Components within IDs are increasingly recognized for their interactive roles.
  • Electrical disturbances in the heart are linked to ID function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of intercalated discs in cardiac electrical disturbances.
  • To highlight the function of connexin 43 (Cx43) within IDs.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Cx43 influences cardiac sodium channel trafficking.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on intercalated disc structure and function.
  • Analysis of studies investigating connexin 43 (Cx43) and microtubule organization.
  • Examination of research on cardiac sodium channel (NaV1.5) trafficking.

Main Results:

  • Connexin 43 (Cx43) is essential for organizing microtubules at the intercalated disc.
  • Cx43-mediated microtubule organization regulates the trafficking of the cardiac sodium channel NaV1.5.
  • Dysregulation of Cx43 and microtubule dynamics can contribute to cardiac electrical disturbances.

Conclusions:

  • Connexin 43 (Cx43) plays a critical role in maintaining cardiac electrical stability through microtubule regulation at intercalated discs.
  • Understanding Cx43's function in protein trafficking offers insights into the mechanisms underlying heart electrical issues.
  • Targeting Cx43-microtubule interactions may present novel therapeutic strategies for cardiac electrical disorders.