Heteromeric connexons in lens gap junction channels.

作者：Jean Xin Jiang, Daniel A. Goodenough · 发表于：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 年份：1996 · DOI：10.1073/pnas.93.3.1287 · 被引用次数：281 · 研究领域：Connexins and lens biology、Heat shock proteins research、Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research

Gap junction channels are formed by paired oligomeric membrane hemichannels called connexons, which are composed of proteins of the connexin family. Experiments with transfected cell lines and paired Xenopus oocytes have demonstrated that heterotypic intercellular channels which are formed by two connexons, each composed of a different connexin, can selectively occur. Studies by Stauffer [Stauffer, K. A. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 6768-6772] have shown that recombinant Cx26 and Cx32 coinfected into insect cells may form heteromeric connexons. By solubilizing and subfractionating individual connexons from ovine lenses, we show by immunoprecipitation that connexons can contain two different connexins forming heteromeric assemblies in vivo.