间隙连接蛋白家族的研究进展

细胞通讯是指多细胞生物体中细胞之间通过化学物质或电信号传递信息的通讯机制。包括间隙连接、膜表面分子接触通讯和化学通讯3种方式。其中间隙连接是指相邻的细胞间存在的一种特殊的由蛋白质构成的结构-连接子(connexon),连接子分别嵌入两个相邻的细胞,形成一个亲水性通道,信息物质由此通道直接进行交流的通讯方式,这种通讯方式与机体多种疾病密切相关,因此成为近年来研究的热点。脊椎动物和无脊椎动物的间隙连接在结构和功能上都有相似性,但是前者的通道由connexin(Cx)蛋白家族构成,后者由一个拓扑结构相似但不相关的innexin(Inx)蛋白家…

Progress in protein families of gap junction

Gap junctions are intercellular channels, which connect adjacent cells and allow direct molecular exchange of low molecular weight between them. Three protein families including connexins, innexins and ponnexins are involved in gap junctions. Connexins are only found in chordate and innexins compose the gap junctions of invertebrates, while pannexins are ubiquitous and present in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Gap junctions in metazoan play important roles in electrical coupling, regulating proliferation, differentiation, and embryonic development. Evidently, the defects of gap junctions resulting form proteins contribute to many diseases of vertebrates and invertebrates, such as tumor, heart diseases, nervous system disorders and other diseases in human.