Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells
10:46

Mechanical Stimulation-induced Calcium Wave Propagation in Cell Monolayers: The Example of Bovine Corneal Endothelial Cells

Published on: July 16, 2013

16.4K

Mechanisms of Connexin Regulating Peptides

D Ryan King1, Meghan W Sedovy1,2, Xinyan Leng1

  • 1Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|October 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Gap junctions (GJ) and connexins are crucial for cell function and disease. This review examines connexin-targeting peptides, exploring their therapeutic potential and mechanisms of action for various diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular physiology and molecular biology
  • Pharmacology and drug discovery
  • Pathophysiology of diseases

Background:

  • Gap junctions (GJ) and connexins are vital for cellular communication and implicated in diseases like cancer and cardiovascular conditions.
  • Altering GJ signaling pathways shows therapeutic potential, making them attractive drug targets.
  • Peptides are a primary strategy for modulating GJ signaling, with many in development or clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review published connexin-targeting peptides.
  • To elucidate their reported mechanisms of action.
  • To assess their potential in disease treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of published research on connexin-targeting peptides.
  • Analysis of proposed and reported mechanisms of action.
  • Evaluation of therapeutic potential based on existing studies.

Main Results:

  • Numerous peptides targeting connexins have been developed.
  • Various mechanisms, including channel blocking and protein interaction disruption, are proposed.
  • Despite extensive research, precise mechanisms of action remain poorly understood.

Conclusions:

  • Connexin-targeting peptides represent a promising therapeutic avenue.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand their mechanisms of action.
  • These peptides hold potential for treating a range of diseases.
Keywords:
cell signalingconnexingap junctionhemichannelpannexinpeptide

More Related Videos

Perturbing Endothelial Biomechanics via Connexin 43 Structural Disruption09:20

Perturbing Endothelial Biomechanics via Connexin 43 Structural Disruption

Published on: October 4, 2019

5.7K
An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay09:47

An Iodide-Yellow Fluorescent Protein-Gap Junction-Intercellular Communication Assay

Published on: February 1, 2019

7.3K

Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

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...
55.1K
Contact-dependent Signaling01:19

Contact-dependent Signaling

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...
45.3K
Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
8.8K
Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

Tension Response at Adherens Junctions

The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
The α-catenin of adherens junctions is an allosteric protein with three VH (vinculin...
3.0K
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces01:13

Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces

In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
2.8K
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
3.2K