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Gap junctions are collections of intercellular channels that allow ions and other tiny molecules to move directly between cells. [1] [14] These junctions are made up of a number of gap junction channels that consist of two connexons, each with six protein subunits called connexin, and a gene family of nearly 20 members encodes the connexins found in mammals [14] [15]
Gap junctions were first described as close appositions as other tight junctions, but following electron microscopy studies in 1967, they were renamed gap junctions to distinguish them from tight junctions. [2] They bridge a 2-4 nm gap between cell membranes. [3] Gap junctions use protein complexes known as connexons to
Connexins are commonly named according to their molecular weights, e.g. Cx26 is the connexin protein of 26 kDa. A competing nomenclature is the gap junction protein system, where connexins are sorted by their α (GJA) and β (GJB) forms, with additional connexins grouped into the C, D and E groupings, followed by an identifying number, e.g. GJA1 corresponds to Cx43.
Gap junction beta-1 protein (GJB1), also known as connexin 32 (Cx32), is a transmembrane protein that in humans is encoded by the GJB1 gene. [a] [5] Gap junction beta-1 protein is a member of the gap junction connexin family of proteins that regulates and controls the transfer of communication signals across cell membranes, primarily in the liver and peripheral nervous system. [6]
This nomenclature emphasizes that GJB1 and GJB2 are more homologous to each other than either of them is to gap junction protein, alpha GJA1. [5] Gap junction beta-2 protein is a member of the connexin protein family and plays a crucial role in forming gap junctions, which are channels that allow the transport of nutrients, ions, and signaling ...
Gap junctions play an important regulatory role in various physiological processes including signal propagation in cardiac muscles and tissue homeostasis of the liver. Modulation is required, since gap junctions must respond to their environment, whether through an increased expression or permeability.
Gap junction alpha-1 protein (GJA1), also known as connexin 43 (Cx43), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GJA1 gene on chromosome 6. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] As a connexin , GJA1 is a component of gap junctions , which allow for gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) between cells to regulate cell death , proliferation , and ...
Each gap junction (sometimes called a nexus) contains numerous gap junction channels that cross the plasma membranes of both cells. [11] With a lumen diameter of about 1.2 to 2.0 nm, [2] [12] the pore of a gap junction channel is wide enough to allow ions and even medium-size molecules like signaling molecules to flow from one cell to the next, [2] [13] thereby connecting the two cells' cytoplasm.