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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

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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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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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Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

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Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
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Electrical Synapses01:28

Electrical Synapses

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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...
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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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Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

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Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells
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Calmodulin Binding to Connexin 35: Specializations to Function as an Electrical Synapse.

Jaya Aseervatham1, Xiaofan Li1, Cheryl K Mitchell1

  • 1Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|September 5, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Connexin 35 (Cx35) electrical synapses are protected from frequent uncoupling by specialized calmodulin binding sites. These sites ensure stable neuronal communication by requiring extreme calcium levels for decoupling.

Keywords:
CaMKIICx35Cx36calmodulinelectrical synapsegap junctionsurface plasmon resonancetracer coupling

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Gap junctions mediate intercellular communication, with calmodulin binding regulating calcium-dependent uncoupling.
  • Electrical synapses in neuronal networks require stable function despite calcium fluctuations.
  • Connexin 35 (Cx35) is a key protein in electrical synapses, homologous to mammalian Connexin 36 (Cx36).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the properties and functional consequences of calmodulin binding to Cx35.
  • To understand how Cx35 maintains stable electrical synapse function under varying calcium conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Studied Cx35 calmodulin binding sites and their response to calcium.
  • Utilized mutations to assess the role of specific calmodulin binding sites.
  • Investigated the impact of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity.

Main Results:

  • Cx35 exhibits specialized calmodulin binding sites that confer relative resistance to moderate calcium increases.
  • A C-terminal calmodulin binding site mediates uncoupling at low micromolar calcium, a process prevented by mutations.
  • A second, low-affinity calmodulin binding site exists in the cytoplasmic loop.
  • Milder calcium stimuli enhance coupling via CaMKII without calmodulin interference.

Conclusions:

  • Cx35's calmodulin binding sites are adapted to prevent frequent uncoupling in neuronal electrical synapses.
  • Cx35 maintains stable electrical coupling except under extreme intracellular calcium conditions.
  • These adaptations are crucial for reliable neuronal network function.