Gap junctions are formed by a family of transmembrane proteins, connexins. Connexin43 is a widely studied member of the family, being ubiquitously expressed in a variety of tissues and a target of a large number of disease mutations. The intracellular loop of connexin43 has been shown to include a calmodulin binding domain, but detailed 3-dimensional data on the structure of the complex are not...

Electrical activation of the heart requires current transfer from one cell to another via gap junctions, arrays of densely packed intercellular channels. The extent to which cardiac myocytes are coupled is determined by multiple mechanisms, including tissue-specific patterns of expression of diverse gap junction channel proteins (connexins), and regulatory pathways that control connexin synthes...