Heterotypic docking compatibility of human connexin37 with other vascular connexins

Abstract

Gap junction (GJ) channels provide direct intercellular communication. A GJ channel consists of two docked hemichannels and each hemichannel is a hexamer of six connexins. Human vascular connexins (Cx37, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45) can form various types of gap junction channels to synchronize vasodilation/constriction to control local circulation. Most of our knowledge on heterotypic GJs of these vascular connexins comes from studies on rodent connexins. However it is not clear if these human connexins can also form heterotypic GJs. The present study used an in vitro expression system to investigate the coupling status and GJ properties of human heterotypic Cx37/Cx40, Cx37/Cx43, and Cx37/Cx45 GJs. Our results showed that Cx37/Cx43 and Cx37/Cx45 GJs, but not Cx37/Cx40 GJs, were functional and with unique rectifying channel properties. The docking between Cx37 and Cx40 could be rescued by designed Cx40 variants. The unique heterotypic Cx37/Cx43 and Cx37/Cx45 GJ properties may help us understand the intercellular communication between vascular cells.

Mapping a mammalian adult adrenal gland hierarchy across species by microwell-seq

“…C8 cells showed high levels of genes such as Naaa, Cst3, Irf8, Cd74, Plac8 and MHCII-related genes, indicating dendritic cell characteristics. C9 cells showed vascular endothelial cell characteristics, with highly expressed Gja4, Esam and Egfl7 ( Kim et al, 2019 ) . Other vascular endothelial cell markers ( Cldn5 , Eng and Cdh5 ) were also expressed in the C9 cluster.…”

Physiology and Transcriptomics Analysis Reveal the Contribution of Lungs on High-Altitude Hypoxia Adaptation in Tibetan Sheep

“…The expression patterns of these three genes were clustered into profile 7 ( Figure 8A ); therefore, it is hypothesized that the thickening of the pulmonary artery in Tibetan sheep with altitude ( Figure 3 ) is due to the increased expression of these three genes with increasing altitude. GJA4 and FAP are associated with vasomotion and fibrogenesis, and GJA4 plays a key role in the vasomotion response, which can conducted from arterioles to larger arteries to promote topical blood circulation ( Kim et al, 2018 ). FAP is highly upregulated in fibroblasts and can promote the deposition of fibers in the vessel wall ( Niedermeyer et al, 2001 ; Jacob et al, 2012 ).…”

Diversity in connexin biology

“…2 B ). At the cell surface, connexons are also selective in their docking capacity with connexons from an adjacent cell, establishing a further layer of homotypic and heterotypic intercellular communication possibilities ( 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ) ( Fig. 2 B ).…”