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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

58.5K
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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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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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
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
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Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

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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-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

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Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

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Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
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An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay
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Relating specific connexin co-expression ratio to connexon composition and gap junction function.

T Desplantez1, K Grikscheit1, N M Thomas1

  • 1Imperial College, Hammersmith Campus, DuCane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.

Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
|November 10, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cardiac connexin ratios fine-tune gap junction function. Distinct connexin 43 (Cx43), Cx40, and Cx45 levels impact impulse propagation, influencing heart health and disease.

Keywords:
Channel functionConnexin co-expressionGap junctionHeteromerisationInducible expression

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Cellular Biophysics
  • Molecular Cardiology

Background:

  • Cardiac myocytes co-express connexin 43 (Cx43), Cx40, and Cx45 at varying ratios.
  • The precise composition of gap junction channels is crucial for regulating cardiac electrical and chemical coupling.
  • Understanding connexin ratios' impact on gap junction function is vital for comprehending normal heart function and disease pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between specific connexin (Cx) ratios (Cx43:Cx40 and Cx43:Cx45) and gap junction channel function.
  • To elucidate how varying levels of co-expressed connexins influence channel composition, properties, and intercellular communication.

Main Methods:

  • Stable transfection of rat liver epithelial cells (endogenously expressing Cx43) with Cx40 or Cx45 to achieve specific connexin expression levels.
  • Quantification of junctional and non-junctional connexin fractions using co-immunoprecipitation.
  • Functional assessment of gap junction communication via Lucifer Yellow transfer and measurement of electrical coupling.

Main Results:

  • Cx45 induction increased junctional Cx43 and Cx45 levels, while Cx40 induction did not significantly alter junctional connexin amounts.
  • Low Cx40/Cx43 heteromerization and undetectable Cx45/Cx43 heteromerization were observed.
  • Lucifer Yellow transfer decreased upon Cx40 and Cx45 induction; electrical coupling decreased with Cx45 and low Cx40 induction, but increased with high Cx40 induction.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junction channel composition is finely regulated by the type and ratio of co-expressed connexins, impacting chemical and electrical coupling.
  • These findings highlight the specific roles of connexin composition in regulating impulse propagation in the healthy heart.
  • Connexin remodeling in diseased hearts may possess pro-arrhythmic potential, underscoring the importance of connexin balance.