HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a Letter to Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by George, C. H. Articles by Evans, W. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by George, C. H. Articles by Evans, W. H. Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

J Biol Chem, Vol. 274, Issue 13, 8678-8685, March 26, 1999

Intracellular Trafficking Pathways in the Assembly of Connexins into Gap Junctions

From the Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XN, Wales, United Kingdom

Trafficking pathways underlying the assembly of connexins into gap junctions were examined using living COS-7 cells expressing a range of connexin-aequorin (Cx-Aeq) chimeras. By measuring the chemiluminescence of the aequorin fusion partner, the translocation of oligomerized connexins from intracellular stores to the plasma membrane was shown to occur at different rates that depended on the connexin isoform. Treatment of COS-7 cells expressing Cx32-Aeq and Cx43-Aeq with brefeldin A inhibited the movement of these chimera to the plasma membrane by 84 ± 4 and 88 ± 4%, respectively. Nocodazole treatment of the cells expressing Cx32-Aeq and Cx43-Aeq produced 29 ± 16 and 4 ± 7% inhibition, respectively. In contrast, the transport of Cx26 to the plasma membrane, studied using a construct (Cx26/43T-Aeq) in which the short cytoplasmic carboxyl-terminal tail of Cx26 was replaced with the extended carboxyl terminus of Cx43, was inhibited 89 ± 5% by nocodazole and was minimally affected by exposure of cells to brefeldin A (17 ±11%). The transfer of Lucifer yellow across gap junctions between cells expressing wild-type Cx32, Cx43, and the corresponding Cx32-Aeq and Cx43-Aeq chimeras was reduced by nocodazole treatment and abolished by brefeldin A treatment. However, the extent of dye coupling between cells expressing wild-type Cx26 or the Cx26/43T-Aeq chimeras was not significantly affected by brefeldin A treatment, but after nocodazole treatment, transfer of dye to neighboring cells was greatly reduced. These contrasting effects of brefeldin A and nocodazole on the trafficking properties and intercellular dye transfer are interpreted to suggest that two pathways contribute to the routing of connexins to the gap junction.

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us

Digg

Reddit

Technorati

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Thomas, K. Jordan, J. Simek, Q. Shao, C. Jedeszko, P. Walton, and D. W. Laird Mechanisms of Cx43 and Cx26 transport to the plasma membrane and gap junction regeneration J. Cell Sci., October 1, 2005; 118(19): 4451 - 4462. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Maza, J. D. Sarma, and M. Koval Defining a Minimal Motif Required to Prevent Connexin Oligomerization in the Endoplasmic Reticulum J. Biol. Chem., June 3, 2005; 280(22): 21115 - 21121. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Fiorini, B. Mograbi, L. Cronier, I. Bourget, X. Decrouy, M. Nebout, B. Ferrua, A. Malassine, M. Samson, P. Fenichel, et al. Dominant negative effect of connexin33 on gap junctional communication is mediated by connexin43 sequestration J. Cell Sci., September 15, 2004; 117(20): 4665 - 4672. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Gemel, V. Valiunas, P. R. Brink, and E. C. Beyer Connexin43 and connexin26 form gap junctions, but not heteromeric channels in co-expressing cells J. Cell Sci., May 15, 2004; 117(12): 2469 - 2480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. E.M. Martin and W.H. Evans Incorporation of connexins into plasma membranes and gap junctions Cardiovasc Res, May 1, 2004; 62(2): 378 - 387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Guo, C. Martinez-Williams, and D. E. Rannels Gap junction-microtubule associations in rat alveolar epithelial cells Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, December 1, 2003; 285(6): L1213 - L1221. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. C. SAEZ, V. M. BERTHOUD, M. C. BRANES, A. D. MARTINEZ, and E. C. BEYER Plasma Membrane Channels Formed by Connexins: Their Regulation and Functions Physiol Rev, October 1, 2003; 83(4): 1359 - 1400. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Husoy, V. Cruciani, H. K. Knutsen, S.-O. Mikalsen, H. B. Olstorn, and J. Alexander Cells heterozygous for the ApcMin mutation have decreased gap junctional intercellular communication and connexin43 level, and reduced microtubule polymerization Carcinogenesis, April 1, 2003; 24(4): 643 - 650. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Oshima, T. Doi, K. Mitsuoka, S. Maeda, and Y. Fujiyoshi Roles of Met-34, Cys-64, and Arg-75 in the Assembly of Human Connexin 26. IMPLICATION FOR KEY AMINO ACID RESIDUES FOR CHANNEL FORMATION AND FUNCTION J. Biol. Chem., January 10, 2003; 278(3): 1807 - 1816. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Tu, T.-T. Sun, and G. Kreibich Specific Heterodimer Formation Is a Prerequisite for Uroplakins to Exit from the Endoplasmic Reticulum Mol. Biol. Cell, December 1, 2002; 13(12): 4221 - 4230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Sarma, F. Wang, and M. Koval Targeted Gap Junction Protein Constructs Reveal Connexin-specific Differences in Oligomerization J. Biol. Chem., May 31, 2002; 277(23): 20911 - 20918. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Das Sarma, R. A. Meyer, F. Wang, V. Abraham, C. W. Lo, and M. Koval Multimeric connexin interactions prior to the trans-Golgi network J. Cell Sci., March 13, 2002; 114(22): 4013 - 4024. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. E. M. Martin, G. Blundell, S. Ahmad, R. J. Errington, and W. H. Evans Multiple pathways in the trafficking and assembly of connexin 26, 32 and 43 into gap junction intercellular communication channels J. Cell Sci., January 11, 2001; 114(21): 3845 - 3855. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Boitano and W. H. Evans Connexin mimetic peptides reversibly inhibit Ca2+ signaling through gap junctions in airway cells Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2000; 279(4): L623 - L630. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Calvo, A. Pol, A. Lu, D. Ortega, M. Pons, J. Blasi, and C. Enrich Cellubrevin Is Present in the Basolateral Endocytic Compartment of Hepatocytes and Follows the Transcytotic Pathway after IgA Internalization J. Biol. Chem., March 10, 2000; 275(11): 7910 - 7917. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Falk Connexin-specific distribution within gap junctions revealed in living cells J. Cell Sci., January 11, 2000; 113(22): 4109 - 4120. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Paulson, P. Lampe, R. Meyer, E TenBroek, M. Atkinson, T. Walseth, and R. Johnson Cyclic AMP and LDL trigger a rapid enhancement in gap junction assembly through a stimulation of connexin trafficking J. Cell Sci., January 9, 2000; 113(17): 3037 - 3049. [Abstract] [PDF]