Gap junction adhesion is necessary for radial migration in the neocortex.
AuthorsElias LA, Wang DD, Kriegstein AR,
JournalNature
PubMed ID17713529
'Radial glia, the neuronal stem cells of the embryonic cerebral cortex, reside deep within the developing brain and extend radial fibres to the pial surface, along which embryonic neurons migrate to reach the cortical plate. Here we show that the gap junction subunits connexin 26 (Cx26) and connexin 43 (Cx43) ... More
Functional heterotypic interactions between astrocyte and oligodendrocyte connexins.
AuthorsMagnotti LM, Goodenough DA, Paul DL
JournalGlia
PubMed ID21046554
'Human genetic diseases and mouse knockouts illustrate that the maintenance of central nervous system myelin requires connexin expression by both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Because these cell types express nonoverlapping sets of connexins, the intercellular channels formed between them must be asymmetric with regard to connexin content, defined as heterotypic. Here, ... More
The coiled-coil domain of occludin can act to organize structural and functional elements of the epithelial tight junction.
AuthorsNusrat A, Chen JA, Foley CS, Liang TW, Tom J, Cromwell M, Quan C, Mrsny RJ,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID10887180
'Occludin is an integral membrane protein that has been suggested to play a role in the organization and dynamic function of the epithelial tight junction (TJ). A number of other proteins have also been described to localize to the TJ. We have used a novel bait peptide method to investigate ... More
Connexin43 repression following epithelium-to-mesenchyme transition in embryonal carcinoma cells requires Snail1 transcription factor.
Authorsde Boer TP, van Veen TA, Bierhuizen MF, Kok B, Rook MB, Boonen KJ, Vos MA, Doevendans PA, de Bakker JM, van der Heyden MA,
JournalDifferentiation
PubMed ID17359298
'Embryonic stem (ES) cells and embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells express high amounts of functional connexin43 (Cx43). During mesoderm formation and subsequent cardiac differentiation, Cx43 is initially down-regulated but is up-regulated again as the emerging cardiomyocytes mature. In this study, we investigated the regulation of Cx43 expression during early phases of ... More
Autosomal recessive GJA1 (Cx43) gene mutations cause oculodentodigital dysplasia by distinct mechanisms.
AuthorsHuang T, Shao Q, MacDonald A, Xin L, Lorentz R, Bai D, Laird DW,
JournalJ Cell Sci
PubMed ID23606748
Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is mainly an autosomal dominant human disease caused by mutations in the GJA1 gene, which encodes the gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43). Surprisingly, there have been two autosomal recessive mutations reported that cause ODDD: a single amino acid substitution (R76H) and a premature truncation mutation (R33X). When ... More
ECM-induced gap junctional communication enhances mammary epithelial cell differentiation.
The relationship between gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and mammary cell (CID-9) differentiation in vitro was explored. CID-9 cells differentiate and express beta-casein in an extracellular matrix (ECM)- and hormone-dependent manner. In response to interaction with the ECM, cells in culture modulated the expression of their gap junction proteins at ... More
Role of gap junctions in fluid secretion of lacrimal glands.
AuthorsWalcott B, Moore LC, Birzgalis A, Claros N, Valiunas V, Ott T, Willecke K, Brink PR,
JournalAm J Physiol Cell Physiol
PubMed ID11832335
In glands such as the liver and pancreas, gap junctions containing connexin 26 and 32 (Cx26 and Cx32, respectively) couple the secretory cells. Uncoupling these junctions compromises the secretory function of these glands. Lacrimal glands also contain extensive arrays of gap junctions consisting of Cx26 and Cx32. We wanted to ... More
The relationship between connexins, gap junctions, tissue architecture and tumour invasion, as studied in a novel in vitro model of HPV-16-associated cervical cancer progression.
AuthorsAasen T, Hodgins MB, Edward M, Graham SV,
JournalOncogene
PubMed ID12970745
Disruption of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and/or connexins (gap junction proteins) is frequently reported in malignant cell lines and tumours. Certain human papillomaviruses (HPV) associated with the development of cancers, especially of the cervix, have previously been reported to downregulate GJIC in vitro. There is also evidence for reduced ... More
Localization of connexin26 and connexin32 in putative CO(2)-chemosensitive brainstem regions in rat.
Recent studies have suggested that cell-to-cell coupling, which occurs via gap junctions, may play a role in CO(2) chemoreception. Here, we used immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses to investigate the presence, distribution, and cellular localization of the gap junction proteins connexin26 (Cx26) and connexin32 (Cx32) in putative CO(2)-chemosensitive brainstem regions in ... More
Connexin expression and gap junctional coupling in human cumulus cells: contribution to embryo quality.
Gap junctional coupling among cumulus cells is important for oogenesis since its deficiency in mice leads to impaired folliculogenesis. Multiple connexins (Cx), the subunits of gap junction channels, have been found within ovarian follicles in several species but little is known about the connexins in human follicles. The aim of ... More