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Related Concept Videos

Gap Junctions01:27

Gap Junctions

9.3K
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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Gap Junctions01:37

Gap Junctions

56.7K
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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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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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...
28.6K
Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions01:24

Overview of Cell-Matrix Interactions

8.8K
The extracellular matrix or ECM holds cells together to form a tissue and allows the cells within the tissue to communicate. ECM comprises proteins such as fibronectin, collagen, laminin, etc. The most abundant protein in this space is collagen. Collagen fibers are interwoven with carbohydrate-containing protein molecules called proteoglycans. ECM allows cell migration and provides a structural scaffold at cell adhesion that anchors the cell when the extracellular matrix proteins interact with...
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Biasing of P-N Junction01:16

Biasing of P-N Junction

1.7K
The operation of a p-n junction diode involves various biasing conditions, including forward bias, reverse bias, and equilibrium.
In equilibrium, no external voltage is applied across the p-n junction. The depletion region is formed at the junction interface due to the diffusion of carriers, which leaves behind charged dopants, acceptors on the p-side, and donors on the n-side. These immobile charges create an electric field that prevents further diffusion of carriers. The related energy band...
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Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Cut-loading: A Useful Tool for Examining the Extent of Gap Junction Tracer Coupling Between Retinal Neurons
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Controllable gap junctions by vitamin B12 and light.

Duo Cui1, Shuzhang Liu2, Xinyu Huang1

  • 1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 23, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed CarGAP, a novel chemo-optogenetic tool for precise control of gap junctions. This system allows reversible blocking and unblocking of cell-to-cell communication, aiding in understanding physiological processes.

Keywords:
chemogeneticsgap junctionstem cell niche

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Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products
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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Gap junctions are crucial for intercellular communication and coordinating cellular activities in multicellular organisms.
  • Existing methods for controlling gap junction function lack precise spatiotemporal regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel chemo-optogenetic tool, CarGAP, for precise and reversible control of gap junction activity.
  • To investigate the role of gap junctions in stem cell-niche interactions using the CarGAP system.

Main Methods:

  • Genetically fusing connexins with the adenosylcobalamin (AdoB12) binding domain of CarH_C to create vertebrate CarGAP (Cx-CarGAP).
  • Utilizing AdoB12-induced protein oligomerization to block gap junctions and green light-induced disassembly to reopen them.
  • Applying the CarGAP system (Inx-CarGAP) to Drosophila ovaries to control heterotypic gap junctions formed by innexin2 and innexin4.

Main Results:

  • Cx-CarGAP demonstrated efficient, reversible blockade and restoration of vertebrate gap junction channels in mammalian cells.
  • Inx-CarGAP enabled precise control over Drosophila ovarian heterotypic gap junctions, facilitating the study of stem cell-niche interactions.
  • The CarGAP system proved generalizable for manipulating gap junctions in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems.

Conclusions:

  • CarGAP is a versatile single-component chemo-optogenetic tool for precise spatiotemporal control of gap junctions.
  • This tool enables the interrogation of diverse biological functions regulated by gap junctions.
  • CarGAP opens new avenues for studying cell-cell communication in various biological contexts.