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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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A Functional Assay for Gap Junctional Examination; Electroporation of Adherent Cells on Indium-Tin Oxide
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Structure and Function of a Bacterial Gap Junction Analog.

Gregor L Weiss1, Ann-Katrin Kieninger2, Iris Maldener2

  • 1Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.

Cell
|July 13, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Multicellular cyanobacteria use septal junctions for cell communication. Stress causes these junctions to reversibly close, controlling molecular exchange and cellular differentiation.

Keywords:
cell-cell connectionscyanobacteriaelectron cryotomographyfluorescence recovery after photobleachingmembrane traffickingmulticellularityseptal junctionssubtomogram averaging

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Multicellularity depends on cell-cell connections for communication and differentiation.
  • Septal junctions in cyanobacteria are crucial for intercellular molecular exchange but their structure and function are poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the in situ architecture of cyanobacterial septal junctions.
  • To investigate the role of septal junctions in controlling intercellular communication under stress.

Main Methods:

  • Electron cryotomography of cryo-focused ion beam-milled cyanobacterial filaments.
  • Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) to assess intercellular communication.

Main Results:

  • Septal junctions form a tube through the peptidoglycan, with FraD-containing plugs and cytoplasmic caps at each end.
  • Intercellular communication is blocked under stress conditions.
  • Stress-induced gating involves a reversible conformational change in the septal junction cap.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals the detailed structure of cyanobacterial septal junctions, providing a mechanistic framework for their function.
  • These ancient cell junctions exhibit a gated mechanism for controlling molecular exchange, conserved across life.
  • This gating mechanism is essential for regulating cellular differentiation in multicellular organisms.