What Is Next for Connexin and Pannexin?

Abstract

Signaling across membranes is vital for tissue and organ function throughout the body. This is achieved through careful regulation of transmembrane channels allowing for passage of ions and second messengers to and from the cytosol and intracellular compartments, which can generate electrical impulses and trigger signaling cascades. Connexins and pannexins are among the most versatile transmembrane channel proteins, which shape cell behavior and tissue function with extraordinary finesse. In this volume, pannexins and connexins 37, 40, and 43 are reviewed [1-4], with special consideration for tissue specificity of expression, cell type-specific functions, and their roles in development and disease.