Multiple connexins confer distinct regulatory and conductance properties of gap junctions in developing heart.

Multiple gap junction proteins (connexins) and channels have been identified in developing and adult heart. Functional expression of the three connexins found in chick heart (connexin42, connexin43, and connexin45) by stable transfection of communication-deficient neuro2A (N2A) cells revealed that all three connexin cDNAs are capable of forming physiologically distinct gap junctions that differ in their transjunctional voltage dependence and unitary channel conductances. The transjunctional voltage dependences of connexin45 and connexin42 closely resembled those of 4-day and 18-day embryonic chick heart gap junctions, respectively. The multiple channel conductances between 80 and 240 pS, including the predominant 160 pS channel, observed in embryonic chick heart were also common to connexin42. The expression of multiple gap junction channels with distinct conductance and regulatory properties within a given tissue may account for developmental changes in intercellular communication.

[1]  A. Moreno,et al.  Phosphorylation shifts unitary conductance and modifies voltage dependent kinetics of human connexin43 gap junction channels. , 1992, Biophysical journal.

[2]  J. Saffitz,et al.  Cardiac myocytes express multiple gap junction proteins. , 1992, Circulation research.

[3]  A. Moreno,et al.  Connexin32 gap junction channels in stably transfected cells: unitary conductance. , 1991, Biophysical journal.

[4]  P. Wells.  Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Antiarrhythmic Agents , 1991 .

[5]  L. Leinwand,et al.  Functional analysis of human cardiac gap junction channel mutants. , 1991, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[6]  R. Veenstra,et al.  Physiological Modulation of Cardiac Gap Junction Channels , 1991 .

[7]  H. Piwnica-Worms,et al.  Tyrosine phosphorylation of the gap junction protein connexin43 is required for the pp60v-src-induced inhibition of communication. , 1990, Cell regulation.

[8]  E. Beyer.  Molecular cloning and developmental expression of two chick embryo gap junction proteins. , 1990, The Journal of biological chemistry.

[9]  L. Leinwand,et al.  Molecular characterization and functional expression of the human cardiac gap junction channel , 1990, The Journal of cell biology.

[10]  C. Haudenschild,et al.  Gap junction messenger RNA expression by vascular wall cells. , 1990, Circulation research.

[11]  R. Veenstra.  Voltage-dependent gating of gap junction channels in embryonic chick ventricular cell pairs. , 1990, The American journal of physiology.

[12]  D. Spray,et al.  Expression of gap junction channels in communication-incompetent cells after stable transfection with cDNA encoding connexin 32. , 1990, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[13]  D C Spray,et al.  Structure-activity relations of the cardiac gap junction channel. , 1990, The American journal of physiology.

[14]  R. Werner,et al.  Formation of hybrid cell-cell channels. , 1989, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[15]  D. Paul,et al.  Formation of gap junctions by expression of connexins in Xenopus oocyte pairs , 1989, Cell.

[16]  D. Paul,et al.  Cloning and expression of a Xenopus embryonic gap junction protein. , 1989, Science.

[17]  M. Rook,et al.  Properties of single gap junctional channels between isolated neonatal rat heart cells. , 1988, The American journal of physiology.

[18]  E. Unanue,et al.  Expression of membrane interleukin 1 by fibroblasts transfected with murine pro-interleukin 1 alpha cDNA. , 1988, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[19]  D C Spray,et al.  Single-channel events and gating behavior of the cardiac gap junction channel. , 1988, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[20]  D. Paul,et al.  Connexin43: a protein from rat heart homologous to a gap junction protein from liver , 1987, The Journal of cell biology.

[21]  D C Spray,et al.  Equilibrium properties of a voltage-dependent junctional conductance , 1981, The Journal of general physiology.

[22]  R. Veenstra,et al.  Molecular and biophysical properties of the connexins from developing chick heart , 1993 .

[23]  D. MLarson,et al.  Gap junction messenger RNA expression by vascular wall cells. , 1990 .

[24]  R. Dehaan,et al.  Cardiac gap junction channel activity in embryonic chick ventricle cells. , 1988, The American journal of physiology.

[25]  E. Unanue,et al.  Expression of membrane interleukin 1 by fibroblasts transfected with murine pro-interleukin la cDNA ( cytokines / gene transfer / protein processing / macrophages ) , 2022 .