Fifty years ago, tumour cells were found to lack electrical coupling, leading to the hypothesis
that loss of direct intercellular communication is commonly associated with cancer onset and …

Gap junctions are essential to the function of multicellular animals, which require a high
degree of coordination between cells. In vertebrates, gap junctions comprise connexins and …

This review is focused on purinergic neurotransmission, ie, ATP released from nerves as a
transmitter or cotransmitter to act as an extracellular signaling molecule on both pre-and …

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been well established as an important extracellular
ligand of autocrine signaling, intercellular communication, and neurotransmission with …

Evaluation of the human genome suggests that all members of the connexin family of gap-
junction proteins have now been successfully identified. This large and diverse family of …

Microglia are morphologically dynamic cells that rapidly extend their processes in response
to various stimuli including extracellular ATP. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that …

Intercellular calcium (Ca2+) waves (ICWs) represent the propagation of increases in
intracellular Ca2+ through a syncytium of cells and appear to be a fundamental mechanism …

Communication between neuronal and glial cells is important for many brain functions.
Astrocytes can modulate synaptic strength via Ca2+-stimulated release of various …

While gap junctions support the exchange of a number of molecules between neighboring
cells, connexin hemichannels provide communication between the cytosol and the …

Tanycytes, glial-like cells that line the third ventricle, are emerging as components of the
hypothalamic networks that control body weight and energy balance. They contact the …