Gap junctions in gastrointestinal muscle contain multiple connexins

Wang, Y. F.; Daniel, E. E.

doi:10.1152/ajpgi.2001.281.2.g533

Cited by 52 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Therefore, association of ICC with longitudinal muscle cells becomes important. Gap junction was rarely observed between ICC-MY and circular muscle cells, but it was absent between ICC-MY and longitudinal muscle cells (32,33); the exception was in the canine colon (34). Therefore, although the present results suggest that ICC-MY are essential for inducing NO-mediated relaxation of longitudinal muscle in the mouse ileum, functional coupling of ICC-MY and longitudinal muscle cells in the tissue requires further clarification.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Essential Role of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Nitric Oxide-Mediated Relaxation of Longitudinal Muscle of the Mouse Ileum

et al. 2004

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Abstract. The role of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced neurogenic responses in ileum was studied by using the ICC-deficient mutant (SLC-W / W V ) mouse and its wild type. In the immunohistochemical study with anti-c-Kit antibody, ICC was observed in the myenteric plexus (MY) and deep muscular plexus (DMP) region in the wild type. In the mutant, ICC-MY were lost, only ICC-DMP were present. EFS induced a rapid contraction of the ileal segments from the wild type mouse in the direction of longitudinal muscle. In the mutant mouse, onset of contraction was delayed and its rate was slowed. EFS induced nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC) relaxation in the presence of atropine and guanethidine in the wild type. A nitric oxide synthase inhibitor inhibited the relaxation and L-arginine reversed it. In the mutant, EFS did not induce NANC relaxation. There was no difference between the responsiveness of the segments from wild type and mutant mice to exogenously added acetylcholine or Nor-1. Taking into account the selective loss of ICC-MY in the mutant mice, it seems likely that ICC-MY have an essential role in inducing nitric oxidemediated relaxation of longitudinal muscle of the mouse ileum and that ICC-MY partly participate in EFS-induced contraction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Essential Role of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Nitric Oxide-Mediated Relaxation of Longitudinal Muscle of the Mouse Ileum

et al. 2004

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“…63,64,[97][98][99][100] Multiple studies have also found that ICC express a variety of connexins (primarily connexin 43) which are the transmembrane proteins that assemble to form gap junctions. 73,246,247 Electrical coupling between ICC and smooth muscle was verified by physiological experiments, in which injection of currents into circular muscle cells caused electrotonic potentials in ICC-MY. 154 Park et al 160 demonstrated that Ca 2+ transients propagating through ICC-MY and smooth muscle were disrupted after the application of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid, a gap junction uncoupler, providing functional evidence that gap junctions are involved in ICC-smooth muscle coupling.…”

Section: Gap Junctions Between Interstitial Cells Of Cajal and Smoothmentioning

confidence: 96%

The Significance of Interstitial Cells in Neurogastroenterology

Blair¹,

Rhee²,

Sanders³

et al. 2014

J Neurogastroenterol Motil

116

111

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Smooth muscle layers of the gastrointestinal tract consist of a heterogeneous population of cells that include enteric neurons, several classes of interstitial cells of mesenchymal origin, a variety of immune cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Over the last number of years the complexity of the interactions between these cell types has begun to emerge. For example, interstitial cells, consisting of both interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha-positive (PDGFRα + ) cells generate pacemaker activity throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and also transduce enteric motor nerve signals and mechanosensitivity to adjacent SMCs. ICC and PDGFRα + cells are electrically coupled to SMCs possibly via gap junctions forming a multicellular functional syncytium termed the SIP syncytium. Cells that make up the SIP syncytium are highly specialized containing unique receptors, ion channels and intracellular signaling pathways that regulate the excitability of GI muscles. The unique role of these cells in coordinating GI motility is evident by the altered motility patterns in animal models where interstitial cell networks are disrupted. Although considerable advances have been made in recent years on our understanding of the roles of these cells within the SIP syncytium, the full physiological functions of these cells and the consequences of their disruption in GI muscles have not been clearly defined. This review gives a synopsis of the history of interstitial cell discovery and highlights recent advances in structural, molecular expression and functional roles of these cells in the GI tract.

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“…In the present study, genes related to cell junctions were more abundantly expressed in ICC-MY than in whole tissue (Table 3). Gja1, which encodes connexin 43, is a prominent gap junction protein expressed in ICC and smooth muscle cell gap junctions in GI muscles (57). Several genes related to cell-matrix junctions and adherens junctions were also enriched in ICC-DMP (Table 4).…”

Section: Expression Of Cell Type Markers In Sorted Icc-dmp and Icc-mymentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential gene expression in functional classes of interstitial cells of Cajal in murine small intestine

Chen¹,

Ördög²,

Chen³

et al. 2007

Physiological Genomics

106

153

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cells of Cajal (ICC) have important functions in regulation of motor activity in the gastrointestinal tract. In murine small intestine, ICC are gathered in the regions of the myenteric plexus (ICC-MY) and the deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP). These two classes of ICC have different physiological functions. ICC-MY are pacemaker cells and generate the slow-wave electrical rhythmicity of gastrointestinal organs. ICC-DMP form synaptic connections with the varicose nerve terminals of enteric motor neurons and are involved in reception and transduction of motor neurotransmission. Gene expression underlying specific functions of ICC classes is incompletely understood. In the present study, we used recently developed highly selective techniques to isolate the two functional ICC classes from enzymatically dispersed intestinal muscles by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The transcriptomes of ICC-MY and ICC-DMP were investigated using oligonucleotide microarray analysis. Differential expression of functional groups of genes defined by standard gene ontology terms was also studied. There were substantial numbers of genes expressed more abundantly in ICC than in the tunica muscularis, and we also detected marked phenotypic differences between ICC-MY and ICC-DMP. Notably, genes related to cell junction, process guidance, and vesicle trafficking were upregulated in ICC. Consistent with their specific functions, metabolic and Ca 2ϩ transport genes were relatively upregulated in ICC-MY, whereas genes for signaling proteins involved in transduction of neurotransmitter functions were relatively upregulated in ICC-DMP. Our results may lead to the identification of novel biomarkers for ICC and provide directions for further studies designed to understand ICC function in health and disease.Affymetrix Mouse Genome 430.2 GeneChips; Bioconductor; enteric nervous system; ion channel; signal transduction MOTOR PATTERNS of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract require the coordinated contractions of the smooth muscle cell component of the organs. One level of coordination comes from the fact that the smooth muscle cells are electrically coupled, and their electrical activity is driven by pacemaker cells known as interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) that lie in the plane of the myenteric plexus between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers (ICC-MY) (16, 58). ICC-MY are electrically coupled to each other via gap junctions and form a network of cells that extends around the circumference and along the length of the small intestine (1, 39, 58). The ICC-MY network is electrically coupled to smooth muscle cells of both layers, providing a low-resistance pathway for the conduction of pacemaker activity to the musculature (9). ICC-MY possess the ionic conductances necessary to initiate electrical slow waves and to propagate these events actively (cf. Ref. 43).A second level of control of GI motor function comes from the intrinsic motor neurons arising from enteric ganglia. Both inhibitory and excitatory motor neurons innervate the muscle layers, an...

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Gap junctions in gastrointestinal muscle contain multiple connexins

Cited by 52 publications

References 43 publications

Essential Role of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Nitric Oxide-Mediated Relaxation of Longitudinal Muscle of the Mouse Ileum

Essential Role of the Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Nitric Oxide-Mediated Relaxation of Longitudinal Muscle of the Mouse Ileum

The Significance of Interstitial Cells in Neurogastroenterology

Differential gene expression in functional classes of interstitial cells of Cajal in murine small intestine

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