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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

58.2K
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...
58.2K
Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

10.5K
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...
10.5K
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

31.5K
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...
31.5K
Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions01:14

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

30.8K
30.8K
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

48.3K
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...
48.3K
Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

11.6K
Electrical synapses found in all nervous systems play important and unique roles. In these synapses, the presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes are very close together (3.5 nm) and are actually physically connected by channel proteins forming gap junctions.
Gap junctions allow the current to pass directly from one cell to the next. In contrast, in the chemical synapse, the neurotransmitters carry the information through the synaptic cleft from one neuron to the next. They consist of two...
11.6K

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Cut-loading: A Useful Tool for Examining the Extent of Gap Junction Tracer Coupling Between Retinal Neurons
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Cut-loading: A Useful Tool for Examining the Extent of Gap Junction Tracer Coupling Between Retinal Neurons

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Adrenocortical Gap Junctions and Their Functions.

Cheryl L Bell1, Sandra A Murray1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine , Pittsburgh, PA , USA.

Frontiers in Endocrinology
|July 23, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gap junctions facilitate cell communication in the adrenal cortex, regulating steroid hormone production and cell growth. Understanding these channels is key to adrenal gland function and disease.

Keywords:
ACTHconnexingap junction plaquesgap junction vesiclessteroidogenesis

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Adrenal cortical steroidogenesis and proliferation are regulated by direct cell-cell communication via gap junctions.
  • Gap junction function depends on channel number, information flow rate, and turnover rate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on gap junctions in the adrenal gland.
  • To highlight the role of gap junctions in adrenocortical cell steroidogenesis and proliferation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of electrophysiological studies.
  • Analysis of molecular biological data.
  • Examination of imaging techniques (immunocytochemistry, freeze fracture, electron microscopy, live cell imaging).

Main Results:

  • Gap junction communication is crucial for adrenal cortical cell functions.
  • Factors regulating gap junction communication and turnover are vital for understanding adrenal development and disease.

Conclusions:

  • Gap junctions play a significant role in regulating adrenal cortical steroidogenesis and proliferation.
  • Further research into gap junction regulation is essential for understanding adrenal gland physiology and pathology.