Connexin
- Serine 319 phosphorylation is necessary and sufficient to induce a Cx37 conformation that leads to arrested cell cycling
Summary: Cx37-mediated switching between proliferation and growth arrest depends on phosphorylation at serine 319, which induces a protein conformation that likely supports unique interactions with cell cycle regulatory proteins.
- The connexin 30 A88V mutant reduces cochlear gap junction expression and confers long-term protection against hearing loss
Summary: The Clouston syndrome-causing connexin 30 mutant (Cx30-A88V) provides long-term protection against age-related hair cell death and hearing loss in mice.
- Mice harbouring an oculodentodigital dysplasia-linked Cx43 G60S mutation have severe hearing loss
Summary: Mutant mice harbouring a severe loss-of-function mutation in Gja1, encoding Cx43, that is associated with the human-linked disease oculodentodigital dysplasia, leads to severe hearing loss and central auditory defects.
- Connexin hemichannels mediate glutathione transport and protect lens fiber cells from oxidative stress
Summary: Connexin hemichannels activated by oxidative stress in lens fiber cells mediate a cell protective mechanism through the uptake of reductants, maintaining lens transparency and homeostasis.
- Dileucine-like motifs in the C-terminal tail of connexin32 control its endocytosis and assembly into gap junctions
Highlighted Article: The C-terminal tail of connexin32 harbors two dileucine-based sorting motifs and an uncanonical motif. These motifs govern the endocytosis of connexin32 and affect its ability to form gap junctions differently.
- Regulation of Cx37 channel and growth-suppressive properties by phosphorylation
Summary: Connexin 37 may serve as a molecular switch that contributes to cell fate decisions, between cell cycle arrest, cell cycle progression and cell death, in a phosphorylation- and channel-dependent manner.
- The E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4 induces endocytosis and lysosomal sorting of connexin 43 to promote loss of gap junctions
Highlighted Article: The proto-oncogenic E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4 induces ubiquitylation and lysosomal degradation of connexin 43, a protein that is often dysregulated during cancer development, resulting in loss of gap junctions in human carcinoma cells.
- Localization of phosphorylated connexin 43 using serial section immunogold electron microscopy
Highlighted Article: Here, we show how new 3D electron microscopy techniques can be extended to investigate ultrastructural protein localization in order to advance insight into mechanisms of gap junction internalization.
- Myosin VI facilitates connexin 43 gap junction accretion
Highlighted Article: Myosin VI localizes to gap junctions in a variety of cell types and tissues, where this motor regulates gap junction plaque size through interaction with cortical actin.
- Cell coupling mediated by connexin 26 selectively contributes to reduced adhesivity and increased migration
Summary: Gap junction expression has been linked to enhanced metastasis and cell migration. We show here that Cx26 gap junctions selectively enhance cell migration by disrupting N-cadherin-based cell adhesion in HeLa cells.