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The electrophysiology of gap junctions and gap junction channels and their mathematical modelling
Author(s) -
Vogel Rolf,
Weingart Robert
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1016/s0248-4900(02)00022-9
Subject(s) - gap junction , electrophysiology , ion channel , biology , channel (broadcasting) , voltage clamp , biophysics , biological system , computer science , neuroscience , telecommunications , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , intracellular , receptor
Summry— In most tissues of vertebrates, gap junctions control the exchange of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells, thus co‐ordinating the cellular activities. The application of the dual voltage‐clamp method to cell pair preparations enables one to elucidate the electrical properties of gap junctions and gap junction channels. The conductive and kinetic data obtained at the multichannel and single channel level led to a generalised concept for the operation of gap junction channels. Based on the biological data gained in this way, a mathematical model has been developed. This model is versatile and allows to simulate the electrophysiological behaviour of different types of vertebrate gap junctions.