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First published online 14 November 2002
doi: 10.1242/jcs.00182

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Multiple connexins contribute to intercellular communication in the Xenopus embryo

Yosef Landesman^1,*, Friso R. Postma¹, Daniel A. Goodenough² and David L. Paul^1,

¹ Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
² Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
^* Present address: GPC-Biotech Inc., 610 Lincoln Street, Waltham, MA 02451, USA

Author for correspondence (e-mail: dpaul{at}hms.harvard.edu)

Accepted 19 September 2002

To explore the role of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) during Xenopus embryogenesis, we utilized the host-transfer and antisense techniques to specifically deplete Cx38, the only known maternally expressed connexin. Cx38-depleted embryos developed normally but displayed robust GJIC between blastomeres at 32-128 cell stages, suggesting the existence of other maternal connexins. Analysis of embryonic cDNA revealed maternal expression of two novel connexins, Cx31 and Cx43.4, and a third, Cx43, that had been previously identified as a product of zygotic transcription. Thus, the early Xenopus embryo contains at least four maternal connexins. Unlike Cx38, expression of Cx31, Cx43 and Cx43.4 continue zygotically. Of these, Cx43.4 is the most abundant, accumulating significantly in neural structures including the brain, the eyes and the spinal cord.

Key words: Gap junctions, Dye transfer, Xenopus connexins, Cx30, Cx31, Cx38, Cx41, Cx43, Cx43.4

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