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Gap Junctions

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...

Gap Junctions

Gap Junctions

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...

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

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 Junctions
Tight...

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

Overview of Cell-Cell Junctions

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 Junctions
Tight...

Tight Junctions

Tight Junctions

Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...

Contact-dependent Signaling

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

Published on: January 21, 2022

In situ structure of the human gap junction.

Evans Eshriew¹, Esa-Pekka Kumpula¹, Shiv K Sah-Teli¹

¹Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.

Science Advances

|May 13, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals the in situ structure of human connexin 43 gap junction plaques, detailing the carboxyl-terminal domain's role in channel assembly and plaque organization. This provides insights into intercellular communication mechanisms.

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Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Recording Gap Junction Current from Xenopus Oocytes

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Published on: January 21, 2022

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Published on: February 26, 2017

Area of Science:

Cellular Biology
Structural Biology
Biophysics

Background:

Gap junction plaques (GJPs) facilitate direct intercellular communication via connexin channels.
Previous structural studies of connexins lacked native context and key intracellular regions.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the in situ structure of human connexin 43 (Cx43) GJPs.
To elucidate the role of the carboxyl-terminal domain in GJP assembly and organization.

Main Methods:

Cryo-electron tomography
Focused ion beam milling
Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations

Main Results:

Resolved the in situ structure of Cx43 GJPs at 14-Å resolution.
Identified the carboxyl-terminal domain's critical role in lateral channel-channel interactions and plaque assembly.
Simulated lipid and cholesterol interactions within the GJP structure.

Conclusions:

The carboxyl-terminal domain is essential for gap junction plaque organization.
The findings provide a structural basis for understanding connexin regulation and tissue communication.
This work resolves long-standing questions about gap junction structure and function.