Gap junctions are polymeric assemblies of aligned pairs of interacting hexameric connexon
hemichannel units facilitating direct intercellular communication. The principal process …

Connexins (Cxs) form a family of transmembrane proteins comprising 21 members in
humans. Cxs differ in their expression patterns, biophysical properties and ability to combine …

Gap junctions (Gj) form conduits between adjacent cells that are composed of connexin (Cx)
protein subunits and allow direct intercellular communication. To date, the connexin gene …

This chapter reports the mechanisms resulting in the assembly of gap junction intercellular
communication channels. The connexin channel protein subunits are required to …

Gap junctions play essential roles in the normal function of the heart and arteries, mediating
the spread of the electrical impulse that stimulates synchronized contraction of the cardiac …

Gap-junction channels provide a widespread intercellular signalling mechanism. They are
constructed of a family of connexin membrane proteins that thread across the membrane …

Gap junctions are common features in the vasculature, long thought to provide a pathway for
cell-cell signaling. Emerging understanding of the gap-junctional proteins (connexins) and …

Many cardiovascular cells coexpress multiple connexins (Cx), leading to the potential
formation of mixed (heteromeric) gap junction hemichannels whose biophysical properties …

Cardiac Gap Junctions. Electrical coupling between cardiac muscle cells is mediated by
specialized sites of plasma membrane interaction termed gap junctions. These junctions …

Different combinations and relative quantities of three connexins—connexin43, connexin40
and connexin45—are expressed in different subsets of cardiomyocyte. In the healthy heart …