Gap junctional communication is important in many physiological processes, including growth control, patterning, and the synchronization of cell-to-cell activities. It has been difficult to study the synthesis and assembly of gap junctions due to their low abundance. To overcome this limitation, baby hamster kidney cells (BHK) have been transfected with a human β1 (Cx32) connexin cDNA construct...

Impaired expression of connexins, the gap junction subunits that facilitate direct cell-cell communication, have been implicated in prostate cancer growth. To elucidate the crucial role of connexins in prostate cancer progression, we performed a systematic quantitative RT-PCR screening of connexin expression in four representative prostate cancer cell lines across the spectrum of malignancy. Tr...

Gap junctional intercellular communication built by hemichannels on cell membrane is a functional syncytium which allows rapid transfer of ions and molecules between cells. Recent findings have shown that gap junction proteins, and specifically Cx43, can play a significant role in cell migration, tissue formation and organ development, impacting adhesion and cytoskeletal rearrangements. Some li...

Decreased extracellular pH is observed in a number of clinical conditions and can sensitize to the development and worsen the severity of acute pancreatitis. Because intercellular communication through gap junctions is pH-sensitive and modulates pancreatitis responses, we evaluated the effects of low pH on gap junctions in the rat pancreatic acinar cell. Decreasing extracellular pH from 7.4 to ...

Connexins are proteins that form gap junctions between cells in various mammalian tissues. Because of their role in intercellular communication, connexins are important in the bystander cell death seen in Herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene therapy for brain tumors. A selective review of connexin transduction/transfection studies with particular emphasis to central nervous syste...

Numerous gap junctions exist between granulosa cells, between cumulus cells and between cumulus cells and the oocyte. They may play a role in the regulation of both follicular development and oocyte status. We used primary cultures of human granulosa cells to study the molecular nature and functionality of these gap junctions. As shown by a cinemicrographic technique, during the first 3 days of...

Oculodentodigital dysplasia, a rare condition displaying congenital craniofacial deformities and limb abnormalities, has been associated with over 20 known human connexin43 (Cx43) mutations. The localization of two of these mutants, G21R and G138R, was examined in Cx43-positive normal rat kidney cells (NRK) and Cx43-negative gap junctional intercellular communication-deficient HeLa cells. Green...

Cell-to-cell communication is a process necessary for physiological tissue homeostasis and appears often altered during disease. Gap junction channels, formed by connexins, allow the direct intercellular communication between adjacent cells. After a brief review of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, we will discuss the role of connexins throughout the different stages of the disease.

During blood vessel assembly, endothelial cells recruit mesenchymal progenitors and induce their differentiation into mural cells via contact-dependent transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) activation. We investigated whether gap junction channels are formed between endothelial cells and recruited mesenchymal progenitors and whether intercellular communication is necessary for endothelial-...

The structure of the smooth muscle tissue is quite different from that of other muscle tissue subtypes. The primary smooth muscle structural and functional unit – the smooth muscle myocyte (Myocytus nonstriatus) has unique structure, arrangement and innervation. The spindle shape of the mononucleated smooth muscle cell permits a close contact among cells in the splanchnic and vascular walls. Re...