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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...
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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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Paracrine Signaling01:21

Paracrine Signaling

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Paracrine signaling allows cells to communicate with their immediate neighbors via secretion of signaling molecules. Such a signal can only trigger a response in nearby target cells because the signal molecules degrade quickly or are inactivated if not taken up. Prominent examples of paracrine signaling include nitric oxide signaling in blood vessels, synaptic signaling of neurons, the blood clotting system, tissue repair/wound healing, and local allergic skin reactions. Nitric oxide as a...
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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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Communication Through Gap Junctions in the Endothelium.

K Schmidt1, R Windler1, C de Wit1

  • 1Institut für Physiologie, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung (DZHK) e.V. (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.

Advances in Pharmacology (San Diego, Calif.)
|July 25, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vascular cells communicate via gap junctions (GJs) and connexins (Cxs) for coordinated function. Cx40 is crucial for signal conduction, enabling vasodilation and other vital vascular responses.

Keywords:
Ascending dilationConnexinsGap junctions

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Cellular Physiology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Organ function relies on coordinated cellular activity, analogous to fish swarms.
  • Vascular cells communicate via gap junctions (GJs) formed by connexins (Cxs) to synchronize actions.
  • GJs facilitate ion and electrical signal transfer along the vascular wall.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the physiological roles of connexins in vascular function.
  • To understand the importance of intercellular communication in the vasculature.
  • To explore functions of vascular Cxs beyond simple cell-to-cell communication.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing connexin-deficient mice as a model system.
  • Analyzing vascular responses in various physiological and pathological conditions.
  • Investigating signal propagation and cellular synchronization in blood vessels.

Main Results:

  • Connexin40 (Cx40) is essential for long-distance signal conduction in microcirculation, crucial for vasodilation.
  • Connexins play roles in functional hyperemia, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, and vascular collateralization.
  • Connexins are involved in feedback inhibition of renin secretion in the kidney.

Conclusions:

  • Vascular connexins are critical regulators of diverse physiological processes, including blood flow control and tissue repair.
  • Cx40-mediated communication is vital for normal microcirculatory function.
  • Connexin-deficient mice are valuable tools for dissecting the complex roles of GJs in vascular health and disease.