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Pannexin1 is expressed by neurons and glia but does not form functional gap junctions
Author(s) -
Huang Yan,
Grinspan Judith B.,
Abrams Charles K.,
Scherer Steven S.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.20435
Subject(s) - gap junction , biology , pannexin , connexin , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , septate junctions , intracellular , hippocampal formation , cell junction , anatomy , cell , biochemistry
Pannexins are a newly described family of proteins that may form gap junctions. We made antisera against mouse pannexin1 (Panx1). HeLa cells expressing Panx1 have cell surface labeling, but not gap junction plaques, and do not transfer small fluorescent dyes or neurobiotin in a scrape‐loading assay. Neuro 2a cells expressing Panx1 are not electrophysiologically coupled. Intracellular Panx1‐immunoreactivity, but not gap junction plaques, is seen in cultured oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and hippocampal neurons. Thus, at least in these mammalian cells lines, Panx1 does not form morphological or functional gap junctions, and it remains to be demonstrated that Panx1 forms gap junction‐forming protein in the CNS. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.