25 papers · ranked by Valyu relevance
E. Yu. Kirichenko, S. N. Skatchkov, A. M. Ermakov
Numerous data obtained in the last 20 years indicate that all parts of the mature central nervous system, from the retina and olfactory bulb to the spinal cord and brain, contain cells connected by gap junctions (GJs). The morphological basis of the GJs is a group of joined membrane hemichannels called connexons, the…
Ao Dong, Simin Liu, Yulong Li
Gap junctions are channels that physically connect adjacent cells, mediating the rapid exchange of small molecules, and playing an essential role in a wide range of physiological processes in nearly every system in the body, including the nervous system. Thus, altered function of gap junctions has been linked with a…
Xinbo Li
Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) channels between cells are composed of connexin proteins that form hexamers (connexons) in adjacent plasma membranes. Connexons (hemichannels) in apposing membranes dock to create pores allowing the passage of ions and small molecules with a molecular weight of less…
Anja Beckmann, Nadine Hainz, Thomas Tschernig, Carola Meier
Gap junction proteins are expressed in cancer stem cells and non-stem cancer cells of many tumors. As the morphology and assembly of gap junction channels are crucial for their function in intercellular communication, one focus of our review is to outline the data on gap junction plaque morphology available for cancer…
Duo Cui, Shuzhang Liu, Xinyu Huang, Xiaohan Alex Tang + 9 more
Gap junctions, mediate rapid signal transduction between contiguous cells, which are indispensable for multicellular organisms to coordinate cellular activities across numerous physiological processes. However, precise control of gap junctions remains elusive. Herein, we present CarGAP, a single-component…
Nora Elvers, Amelie Bergs, Christin Bessel, Jana Liewald + 1 more
Gap junctions (GJs), formed by connexins in vertebrates and innexins in invertebrates, enable direct ion flow between adjacent cells. GJ coupling is typically analyzed by electrophysiological methods, which, however, are invasive and cannot be conducted in intact animals. Here, we used all-optical methods to…
Ling Wu, Ao Dong, Liting Dong, Shi-Qiang Wang + 1 more
Cell-cell communication via gap junctions regulates a wide range of physiological processes by enabling the direct intercellular electrical and chemical coupling. However, the in vivo distribution and function of gap junctions remain poorly understood, partly due to the lack of non-invasive tools with both cell-type…
Benny Yue, Bassam G. Haddad, Umair Khan, Honghong Chen + 5 more
The connexins form intercellular communication channels, known as gap junctions (GJs), that facilitate diverse physiological roles in vertebrate species, ranging from electrical coupling and long-range chemical signaling, to coordinating development and nutrient exchange. GJs formed by different connexins are expressed…
Nils Rosenkranz, Konstantin Wieland, Alexandra N. Birtasu, Sina Manger + 3 more
Gap junctions (GJ) are intercellular channels that mediate electrical signals and the transfer of small molecules. GJs are crucial for the functions of the brain, heart and other organs. While structures of purified homomeric GJs are available, we lack in situ structures. In vivo, GJs can form heteromers with different…
Anna Posłuszny
Electrical synapses are a type of cellular membrane junction referred to as gap junctions (GJs). They provide a direct way to exchange ions between coupled cells and have been proposed as a structural basis for fast transmission of electrical potentials between neurons in the brain. For this reason GJs have been…
Erin Munro, Christoph Börgers
Gap junctions are channels in cell membranes allowing ions to pass directly between cells. They connect cells throughout the body, including heart myocytes, neurons, and astrocytes. Propagation mediated by gap junctions can be passive or active. In passive propagation, the membrane potential of one cell influences that…
Paul C. Bressloff
In this paper we analyze the relaxation to steady-state of intracellular diffusion in a pair of cells with gap-junction coupling. Gap junctions are prevalent in most animal organs and tissues, providing a direct diffusion pathway for both electrical and chemical communication between cells. Most analytical models of…
Pranay Goel, Anita Mehta
Cells of almost all solid tissues are connected with gap junctions which permit the direct transfer of ions and small molecules, integral to regulating coordinated function in the tissue. The pancreatic islets of Langerhans are responsible for secreting the hormone insulin in response to glucose stimulation. Gap…
Debarshi Banerjee
Gap junctions are cell-to-cell junctions that are located in the basolateral surface of two adjoining cells. A gap junction channel is composed of a family of proteins called connexins. Gap junction channels maintain intercellular communication between two cells through the exchange of ions, small metabolites, and…
Bella Xu Ying, Maarten F. Zwart, Wen-Chang Li
Neuronal populations connected by gap junctions can be revealed via dye coupling of small molecules like neurobiotin and lucifer yellow. However, the extent of dye diffusion between neurons varies with connexin subtype, loading method, and neuromodulation. Due to the increasing availability of GCaMP transgenic animals…
Sandra P. Cárdenas-García, Sundas Ijaz, Alberto E. Pereda
Most nervous systems combine both transmitter-mediated and direct cell-cell communication, known as ‘chemical’ and ‘electrical’ synapses, respectively. Chemical synapses can be identified by their multiple structural components. Electrical synapses are, on the other hand, generally defined by the presence of a ‘gap…
Vincent, Cécile Marie, Ravindran, Sapna + 4 more
C. M. Vincent, 1 S. Ravindran,1, 2 A. M. Prevost, 1 L.-L. Pontani, 1 O. B´enichou, 3 and E. Wandersman1, ∗ 1 Laboratoire Jean Perrin, UMR 8237 Sorbonne Universit´e/CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France 2 Laboratoire Mati`ere et Syst`emes Complexes, CNRS UMR 7057, Universit´e…
Aishwarya Ramakrishnan Iyer, Vasu Sheeba
Several studies have indicated that coherent circadian rhythms in behaviour can be manifested only when the underlying circadian oscillators function as a well-coupled network. The current literature suggests that circadian pacemaker neuronal networks rely heavily on communication mediated by chemical synapses…
Maryam Saadati, Yousef Jamali
ABSTRCT: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a challenging metabolic disorder characterized by a substantial loss of β-cell mass and alteration of β-cell function in the islets of Langerhans, disrupting insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. The mechanisms for deficiency in β-cell mass and function during the hyperglycemia…
R. Janaki, A. S. Vytheeswaran
Inhibitory neurons play a crucial role in maintaining persistent neuronal activity. Although connected extensively through electrical synapses (gap-junctions), these neurons also exhibit interactions through chemical synapses in certain regions of the brain. When the coupling is sufficiently strong, the effects of…
Xiaolin Liu, Hao Yang, Hassan Harb, Rajarshi Samajdar + 8 more
Molecular electronic devices require precise control over the flow of current in single molecules. However, the electron transport properties of single molecules critically depend on dynamic molecular conformations in nanoscale junctions. Here, we report a unique strategy for controlling molecular conductance using…
Authors not listed
We present the design, fabrication, and application of robust metal/protein/metal junctions with ultrathin (~20 nm) protein films demonstrating long-term stability in ambient conditions and preserving their electron transport behavior also at ~10 K. These junctions establish a reliable platform with a permanent contact…
Matthew Curry, Dakota Landrie, Adam Wunschel, Sharani Roy
Ever since Aviram and Ratner theoretically proposed that rectifiers could be constructed from single molecules, great interest has been expressed in the development of single-molecular junctions as nano-electronic devices. In addition to their applications for molecular switches, chemical sensors, spin filters, and…
Authors not listed
Cyclopentadienone represents a class of antiaromatic five-membered ring systems whose conductance regulation by functional groups and connection topology remains unclear. Herein, we design and synthesize six cyclopentadienone derivatives by varying the central functional group (C=O, CH(OH), CH₂) and the anchoring…
Authors not listed
Terminal anchor groups play a key role in controlling the stability and electronic properties of molecular junctions. Single molecule junctions typically consist of two terminal anchors linking organic molecules to metal electrodes. Here, we show that p-terphenyl derivatives containing only a single terminal anchor…