Connexins and lens biology

Calcium induced N-terminal gating and pore collapse in connexin-46/50 gap junctions

This study uses cryo-EM to reveal how calcium binding to connexin-46/50 gap junctions induces structural changes leading to pore collapse and gating.

Sub-Millivolt Voltage Imaging Reveals Gap Junction-Mediated Bioelectric Contact Inhibition

The paper introduces a new voltage indicator to image sub-millivolt membrane potentials and discovers bioelectric contact inhibition mediated by gap junctions.

Connexin50 hemichannels are opened by CO2: implications for lens physiology

This study shows that CO2 opens Cx50 hemichannels in lens cells, allowing lactate and glutamate passage, and that this process is regulated by specific residues and involves Ca2+ influx.

Skin capillary endothelial cells form a network of spatiotemporally conserved Ca2+ activity

The paper uses intravital imaging to study Ca2+ activity in skin capillaries of live mice, revealing spatiotemporal organization and regulation through gap junctions and L-type Ca2+ channels.

Quantifying Electrostatic Control of Docking and Binding Energetics in Functional Cx36 Gap Junctions

The paper investigates electrostatic interactions in Cx36 gap junctions, showing that specific residue pairs are essential for functional GJ formation and docking specificity.

Astrocytic connexin43 phosphorylation contributes to seizure susceptibility after mild Traumatic Brain Injury

This study investigates how mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) alters connexin43 (Cx43) phosphorylation in astrocytes and how this contributes to seizure susceptibility in mice.

CO2-dependent opening of Connexin 43 hemichannels

The paper demonstrates that Cx43 hemichannels open in response to CO2, resolving a discrepancy between in vivo and in vitro studies.

Uncovering the electrical synapse proteome in retinal neurons via in vivo proximity labeling

The paper identifies the proteome of electrical synapses in retinal neurons using BioID in mice and zebrafish, revealing new interactors and their roles in synapse function.

In situ Structure of the Human Gap Junction

The paper determines the in situ structure of human Cx43 gap junction plaques using cryogenic electron tomography, revealing the role of the C-terminal domain in plaque assembly.

Long-term editing of brain circuits in mice using an engineered electrical synapse

The paper engineers an electrical synapse in mice using fish connexins to modulate neural circuits and behavior.

Reversible lipid mediated pH-gating of connexin-46/50 by cryo-EM

This study uses cryo-EM to reveal how lipid-mediated pH changes gate connexin-46/50 gap junctions, showing reversible structural transitions under acidic conditions.

Coincidence detection supported by electrical synapses is shaped by the D-type K+ current

The paper investigates how the D-type K+ current shapes coincidence detection in electrically coupled neurons of the MesV nucleus, enhancing temporal precision and reducing gain.

Gap junction communication regulates luminal-myoepithelial crosstalk and cell differentiation in a bi-layered human mammary epithelial cell model

This study develops a bilayered co-culture model of human mammary epithelial cells and shows that gap junction communication is essential for lineage-specific differentiation.

Retinal Cx36 gap junctions in the inner and outer plexiform layers differentially control visual thresholds.

The paper investigates how Cx36 gap junctions in the inner and outer retina affect visual thresholds under dim light using mouse models and behavioral assays, finding distinct roles in threshold control.

Controllable Gap Junctions by Vitamin B12 and Light

This paper introduces CarGAP, a chemo-optogenetic tool to reversibly control gap junctions in vertebrates and invertebrates with spatiotemporal precision.

Lipid dependence of connexin-32 gap junction channel conformations

The paper determines the cryo-EM structures of Cx32 gap junction channels reconstituted in nanodiscs, showing that phospholipids block the pore by binding to the N-terminal gating helix, contingent on sterol presence.

Astrocyte gap junctions and Kir channels contribute to K+ buffering and regulate neuronal excitability

This study investigates the role of astrocyte gap junctions and Kir channels in K+ buffering and neuronal excitability by blocking these mechanisms in cortical slices.

In situ structure of a gap junction - stomatin complex

The paper identifies in situ structures of gap junctions in C. elegans using cryo-electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging, revealing a cytosolic cap formed by the stomatin UNC-1 protein.

The mechanisms of permselectivity of connexin hemichannels to small molecules

This study investigates permselectivity of connexin hemichannels for small molecules, finding that selectivity varies among connexins and is influenced by factors beyond molecular size.

Injury Induced Connexin 43 Expression Regulates Endothelial Wound Healing

This study shows that injury-induced Cx43 upregulation in endothelial cells promotes wound healing through gap junction-mediated communication, with phosphorylation playing a key role.

Connexin 43 drives glioblastoma cancer stem cell phenotypes through a WNK lysine-deficient protein kinase 1-c-MYC signaling axis

This study shows that Cx43 promotes glioblastoma cancer stem cell survival and self-renewal via a WNK1-c-MYC signaling pathway.

Rod inputs arrive at horizontal cell somas in mouse retina solely via rod-cone coupling

The paper shows rod signals reach horizontal cell somas in mouse retina exclusively via gap junctions with cones, not through axonal transmission.

Endothelial TRPV4/Cx43 Signaling Complex Regulates Vasomotor Tone in Resistance Arteries

This study shows TRPV4 activation modulates endothelial Cx43 hemichannels via S-nitrosylation, influencing Ca2+ levels and vasomotor tone in resistance arteries.

Expression and Function of Connexin 43 and Connexin 37 in the Murine Zona Glomerulosa

The paper examines connexin 43 and 37 expression and function in murine zona glomerulosa, finding that while these proteins are expressed, functional gap junctions are rare and do not significantly affect calcium signaling.

Model-based Evaluation of Connexin Hemichannel Permeability

The paper develops a method to quantify hemichannel permeability using fluorescence imaging, electrophysiology, and mathematical modeling, showing a significant increase in DAPI permeability for Cx26*A49E.

Ankyrin-B is required for the establishment and maintenance of lens cytoarchitecture, mechanics, and clarity

This study shows that ankyrin-B is essential for maintaining lens clarity, structure, and mechanics through its role in cytoskeletal and membrane organization.

The components of an electrical synapse as revealed by expansion microscopy of a single synaptic contact

The paper uses expansion microscopy to reveal the structural organization of electrical synapses in zebrafish Mauthner cells, showing multiple gap junctions and their association with adherens junction components.

Synchronicity in zebrafish locomotive circuit development mediated by electrical pacemaker interneurons

This study shows that pacemaker interneurons synchronize motor neuron activity in zebrafish embryos through electrical gap junctions, and disruptions in this process are linked to hyperactivity in Fragile X syndrome models.

A hyperpolarizing neuron recruits undocked innexin hemichannels to transmit neural information in Caenorhabditis elegans

The paper shows hyperpolarizing neurons in C. elegans use undocked innexin hemichannels to transmit temperature information independently of synaptic vesicle exocytosis.

Astroglial gap junctions strengthen hippocampal network activity by sustaining afterhyperpolarization via KCNQ channels

The paper shows astroglial gap junctions enhance hippocampal network activity by maintaining afterhyperpolarization through KCNQ channels, independent of glutamate or metabolic factors.