Mixing of connexins in gap junction membrane channels

Gap junctions are plaque-like clusters of intercellular channels that mediate intercellular communication. Each of two adjoining cells contains a connexon unit which makes up half of the whole channel. Gap junction channels are formed from a multigene family of proteins called connexins, and different connexins may be coexpressed by a single cell type and found within the same plaque. Rodent gap junctions contain two proteins, connexins 32 and 26. Use of a scanning transmission electron microscope for mass analysis of rodent gap junction plaques and split gap junctions prvided evidence consistent with a model in which the channels may be made from (i) solely connexin 26, (ii) solely connexin 32, or (iii) mixtures of connexin 26 and connexin 32 in which the two connexons are made entirely of connexin 26 and connexin 32. The different types of channels segregate into distinct domains, implying tha connexon channels self-associate to give a non-random distribution within tissues. Since each connexin confers distinct physiological properties on its membrane channels, these results imply that the physiological properties of channels can be tailored by mixing the constituent proteins within these macromolecular structures.