References
Ai Z, Fischer A, Spray DC, Brown AM, Fishman GI (2000) Wnt-1 regulation of connexin43 in cardiac myocytes. J Clin Invest 105:161–171
Aleksic B, Ishihara R, Takahashi N, Maeno N, Ji X, Saito S, Inada T, Ozaki N (2007) Gap junction coding genes and schizophrenia: a genetic association study. J Hum Genet 52:498–501
Alves LA, Coutinho-Silva R, Persechini PM, Spray DC, Savino W, Campos de Carvalho AC (1996) Are there functional gap junctions or junctional hemichannels in macrophages? Blood 88:328–334
Ashcroft FM (2000) Ion channels and disease. Academic press, San Diego USA, p 481
Azanza MJ, Pes N, Pérez-Bruzón RN, Aisa J, Raso M, Junquera C, Lahoz JM, Maestú C, Martínez-Ciriano C, Pérez-Castejón C, Vera-Gil A, Del Moral A (2007) Localization of connexins in neurons and glia cells of the Helix aspersa suboesophageal brain ganglia by immunocytochemistry. Histol Histopathol 22:497–504
Bao L, Locovei S, Dahl G (2004) Pannexin membrane channels are mechanosensitive conduits for ATP. FEBS Lett 572:65–68
Bao L, Sachs F, Dahl G (2004) Connexins are mechanosensitive. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 287:C1389–C1395
Bao L, Samuels S, Locovei S, Macagno ER, Muller KJ, Dahl G (2007) Innexins form two types of channels. FEBS Lett 581:5703–5708
Bao X, Lee SC, Reuss L, Altenberg GA (2007) Change in permeant size selectivity by phosphorylation of connexin 43 gap-junctional hemichannels by PKC. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:4919–4924
Bauer R, Lehmann C, Fuss B, Eckardt F, Hoch M (2002) The Drosophila gap junction channel gene innexin 2 controls foregut development in response to Wingless signalling. J Cell Sci 115:1859–1867
Bergfeld GR, Forrester T (1992) Release of ATP from human erythrocytes in response to a brief period of hypoxia and hypercapnia. Cardiovasc Res 26:40–47
Beyer EC, Steinberg TH (1991) Evidence that the gap junction protein connexin-43 is the ATP-induced pore of mouse macrophages. J Biol Chem 266:7971–7974
Boassa D, Ambrosi C, Qiu F, Dahl G, Gaietta G, Sosinsky G (2007) Pannexin1 channels contain a glycosylation site that targets the hexamer to the plasma membrane. J Biol Chem 282:31733–31743
Boassa D, Qiu F, Dahl G, Sosinsky G (2008) Trafficking dynamics of glycosylated pannexin 1 proteins. Cell Commun Adhes 15:119–132
Bröer S, Wagner CA (2003) Membrane transporter diseases. Kluwer Academic, New York USA, p 404
Bruzzone R, Barbe MT, Jakob NJ, Monyer H (2005) Pharmacological properties of homomeric and heteromeric pannexin hemichannels expressed in Xenopus oocytes. J Neurochem 92:1033–1043
Bruzzone R, Dermietzel R (2006) Structure and function of gap junctions in the developing brain. 326:239–248
Bruzzone R, Hormuzdi SG, Barbe MT, Herb A, Monyer H (2003) Pannexins, a family of gap junction proteins expressed in brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:13644–13649
Buisman HP, Steinberg TH, Fischbarg J, Silverstein SC, Vogelzang SA, Ince C, Ypey DL, Leijh PC (1988) Extracellular ATP induces a large nonselective conductance in macrophage plasma membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:7988–7992
Bukauskas FF, Kreuzberg MM, Rackauskas M, Bukauskiene A, Bennett MV, Verselis VK, Willecke K (2006) Properties of mouse connexin 30.2 and human connexin 31.9 hemichannels: implications for atrioventricular conduction in the heart. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:9726–9731
Chadjichristos CE, Kwak BR (2007) Connexins: new genes in atherosclerosis. Ann Med 39:402–411
Chanson M, Derouette JP, Roth I, Foglia B, Scerri I, Dudez T, Kwak BR (2005) Gap junctional communication in tissue inflammation and repair. Biochim Biophys Acta 1711:197–207
Chanson M, Roy C, Spray DC (1994) Voltage-dependent gap junctional conductance in hepatopancreatic cells of Procambarus clarkii. Am J Physiol 266:C569–C577
Chaumont S, Khakh BS (2008) Patch-clamp coordinated spectroscopy shows P2X2 receptor permeability dynamics require cytosolic domain rearrangements but not Panx-1 channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:12063–12068
Chen B, Liu Q, Ge Q, Xie J, Wang ZW (2007) UNC-1 regulates gap junctions important to locomotion in C. elegans. Curr Biol 17:1334–1339
Cherian PP, Siller-Jackson AJ, Gu S, Wang X, Bonewald LF, Sprague E, Jiang JX (2005) Mechanical strain opens connexin 43 hemichannels in osteocytes: a novel mechanism for the release of prostaglandin. Mol Biol Cell 16:3100–3106
Chuang CF, Vanhoven MK, Fetter RD, Verselis VK, Bargmann CI (2007) An innexin-dependent cell network establishes left-right neuronal asymmetry in C. elegans. Cell 129:787–799
Cockcroft S, Gomperts BD (1979) Activation and inhibition of calcium-dependent histamine secretion by ATP ions applied to rat mast cells. J Physiol 296:229–243
Cohen-Salmon M, Regnault B, Cayet N, Caille D, Demuth K, Hardelin JP, Janel N, Meda P, Petit C (2007) Connexin30 deficiency causes instrastrial fluid–blood barrier disruption within the cochlear stria vascularis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:6229–6234
Collings A, Islam MS, Juonala M, Rontu R, Kähönen M, Hutri-Kähönen N, Laitinen T, Marniemi J, Viikari JS, Raitakari OT, Lehtimäki TJ (2007) Associations between connexin37 gene polymorphism and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Atherosclerosis 195:379–384
Combettes L, Dumont M, Berthon B, Erlinger S, Claret M (1988) Release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum by bile acids in rat liver cells. J Biol Chem 263:2299–2303
Contreras JE, Sáez JC, Bukauskas FF, Bennett MV (2003) Gating and regulation of connexin 43 (Cx43) hemichannels. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:11388–11393
Contreras JE, Sánchez HA, Eugenin EA, Speidel D, Theis M, Willecke K, Bukauskas FF, Bennett MV, Sáez JC (2002) Metabolic inhibition induces opening of unapposed connexin 43 gap junction hemichannels and reduces gap junctional communication in cortical astrocytes in culture. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 99:495–500
Contreras JE, Sánchez HA, Véliz LP, Bukauskas FF, Bennett MV, Sáez JC (2004) Role of connexin-based gap junction channels and hemichannels in ischemia-induced cell death in nervous tissue. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 47:290–303
Cotrina ML, Lin JH, Nedergaard M (1998) Cytoskeletal assembly and ATP release regulate astrocytic calcium signaling. J Neurosci 18:8794–8804
Cruikshank SJ, Hopperstad M, Younger M, Connors BW, Spray DC, Srinivas M (2004) Potent block of Cx36 and Cx50 gap junction channels by mefloquine. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101:12364–12369
Curtin KD, Zhang Z, Wyman RJ (2002) Gap junction proteins are not interchangeable in development of neural function in the Drosophila visual system. J Cell Sci 115:3379–3388
Dahl G, Locovei S (2006) Pannexin: to gap or not to gap, is that a question? IUBMB Life 58:409–419
de Boer TP, van der Heyden MA (2005) Xenopus connexins: how frogs bridge the gap. Differentiation 73:330–340
De Vuyst E, Decrock E, Cabooter L, Dubyak GR, Naus CC, Evans WH, Leybaert L (2006) Intracellular calcium changes trigger connexin 32 hemichannel opening. EMBO J 11(25):34–44
De Zeeuw CI, Chorev E, Devor A, Manor Y, Van Der Giessen RS, De Jeu MT, Hoogenraad CC, Bijman J, Ruigrok TJ, French P, Jaarsma D, Kistler WM, Meier C, Petrasch-Parwez E, Dermietzel R, Sohl G, Gueldenagel M, Willecke K, Yarom Y (2003) Deformation of network connectivity in the inferior olive of connexin 36-deficient mice is compensated by morphological and electrophysiological changes at the single neuron level. J Neurosci 23:4700–4711
DeVries SH, Schwartz EA (1992) Hemi-gap-junction channels in solitary horizontal cells of the catfish retina. J Physiol 445:201–230
Dobrowolski R, Sommershof A, Willecke K (2007) Some oculodentodigital dysplasia-associated Cx43 mutations cause increased hemichannel activity in addition to deficient gap junction channels. J Membr Biol 219:9–17
Duffy HS, John GR, Lee SC, Brosnan CF, Spray DC (2000) Reciprocal regulation of the junctional proteins claudin-1 and connexin43 by interleukin-1beta in primary human fetal astrocytes. J Neurosci 20:RC114
Dvoriantchikova G, Ivanov D, Panchin Y, Shestopalov VI (2006) Expression of pannexin family of proteins in the retina. FEBS Lett 580:2178–2182
Eltzschig HK, Eckle T, Mager A, Küper N, Karcher C, Weissmüller T, Boengler K, Schulz R, Robson SC, Colgan SP (2006) ATP release from activated neutrophils occurs via connexin 43 and modulates adenosine-dependent endothelial cell function. Circ Res 99:1100–1108
Enkvist MO, McCarthy KD (1992) Activation of protein kinase C blocks astroglial gap junction communication and inhibits the spread of calcium waves. J Neurochem 59:519–526
Epstein ML, Gilula NB (1977) A study of communication specificity between cells in culture. J Cell Biol 75:769–787
Faria RX, Defarias FP, Alves LA (2005) Are second messengers crucial for opening the pore associated with P2X7 receptor? Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 288:C260–C271
Ferrari D, Pizzirani C, Adinolfi E, Lemoli RM, Curti A, Idzko M, Panther E, Di Virgilio F (2006) The P2X7 receptor: a key player in IL-1 processing and release. J Immunol 176:3877–3883
Finbow ME, Buultjens TE, Lane NJ, Shuttleworth J, Pitts JD (1984) Isolation and characterisation of arthropod gap junctions. EMBO J 3:2271–2278
Fortes FS, Pecora IL, Persechini PM, Hurtado S, Costa V, Coutinho-Silva R, Braga MB, Silva-Filho FC, Bisaggio RC, De Farias FP, Scemes E, De Carvalho AC, Goldenberg RC (2004) Modulation of intercellular communication in macrophages: possible interactions between GAP junctions and P2 receptors. J Cell Sci 117:4717–4726
Fraser SE, Green CR, Bode HR, Gilula NB (1987) Selective disruption of gap junctional communication interferes with a patterning process in hydra. Science 237:49–55
Fu CT, Bechberger JF, Ozog MA, Perbal B, Naus CC (2004) CCN3 (NOV) interacts with connexin43 in C6 glioma cells: possible mechanism of connexin-mediated growth suppression. J Biol Chem 279:36943–36950
Gellhaus A, Dong X, Propson S, Maass K, Klein-Hitpass L, Kibschull M, Traub O, Willecke K, Perbal B, Lye SJ, Winterhager E (2004) Connexin43 interacts with NOV: a possible mechanism for negative regulation of cell growth in choriocarcinoma cells. J Biol Chem 279:36931–36942
Genetos DC, Kephart CJ, Zhang Y, Yellowley CE, Donahue HJ (2007) Oscillating fluid flow activation of gap junction hemichannels induces ATP release from MLO-Y4 osteocytes. J Cell Physiol 212:207–214
Gerido DA, DeRosa AM, Richard G, White TW (2007) Aberrant hemichannel properties of Cx26 mutations causing skin disease and deafness. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 293:C337–C345
Giaume C, Spira ME, Korn H (1980) Uncoupling of invertebrate electrotonic synapses by carbon dioxide. Neurosci Lett 17:197–202
Gilula NB, Satir P (1971) Septate and gap junctions in molluscan gill epithelium. J Cell Biol 51:869–872
González D, Gómez-Hernández JM, Barrio LC (2006) Species specificity of mammalian connexin-26 to form open voltage-gated hemichannels. FASEB J 20:2329–2338
Goodenough DA, Paul DL (2003) Beyond the gap: functions of unpaired connexon channels. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 4:285–294
Guthrie PB, Knappenberger J, Segal M, Bennett MV, Charles AC, Kater SB (1999) ATP released from astrocytes mediates glial calcium waves. J Neurosci 19:520–528
Hansen AJ (1985) Effect of anoxia on ion distribution in the brain. Physiol Rev 65:101–148
Harris A, Locke D (2008) Connexin biology: the role of gap junction in disease. The Humana, Totowa, NJ, USA, pp
Harris AL (2001) Emerging issues of connexin channels: biophysics fills the gap. Q Rev Biophys 34:325–472
Harrison DG, Cai H (2003) Endothelial control of vasomotion and nitric oxide production. Cardiol Clin 21:289–302
Hassinger TD, Guthrie PB, Atkinson PB, Bennett MV, Kater SB (1996) An extracellular signaling component in propagation of astrocytic calcium waves. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 93:13268–13273
Hempelmann A, Heils A, Sander T (2006) Confirmatory evidence for an association of the connexin-36 gene with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 71:223–228
Hervé JC (2005) The connexins, part II. Biochim Biophys Acta 1711:97–246
Hervé JC (2004) The connexins, part I. Biochim Biophys Acta 1662:1–172
Hervé JC (2005) The connexins, part III. Biochem Biophys Acta 1719:1–160
Hickman SE, Semrad CE, Silverstein SC (1996) P2Z purinoceptors. Ciba Found Symp 198:71–83
Hofer A, Dermietzel R (1998) Visualization and functional blocking of gap junction hemichannels (connexons) with antibodies against external loop domains in astrocytes. Glia 24:141–154
Hormuzdi SG, Pais I, LeBeau FE, Towers SK, Rozov A, Buhl EH, Whittington MA, Monyer H (2001) Impaired electrical signaling disrupts gamma frequency oscillations in connexin 36-deficient mice. Neuron 31:487–495
Hua VB, Chang AB, Tchieu JH, Kumar NM, Nielsen PA, Saier MH (2003) Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of 4 TMS junctional proteins of animals: connexins, innexins, claudins and occludins. J Membr Biol 194:59–76
Huang Y, Grinspan JB, Abrams CK, Scherer SS (2007) Pannexin1 is expressed by neurons and glia but does not form functional gap junctions. Glia 55:46–56
Huang YJ, Maruyama Y, Dvoryanchikov G, Pereira E, Chaudhari N, Roper SD (2007) The role of pannexin 1 hemichannels in ATP release and cell–cell communication in mouse taste buds. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:6436–6441
Iacobas DA, Iacobas S, Spray DC (2007) Connexin-dependent transcellular transcriptomic networks in mouse brain. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 94:169–185
Iglesias R, Locovei S, Roque AP, Alberto AP, Dahl G, Spray DC, Scemes E (2008) P2X7 receptor–Pannexin1 complex: pharmacology and signaling. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 295:C752–C760
Iovine MK, Gumpert AM, Falk MM, Mendelson TC (2008) Cx23, a connexin with only four extracellular-loop cysteines, forms functional gap junction channels and hemichannels. FEBS Lett 582:165–170
Jiang H, Zhu AG, Mamczur M, Falck JR, Lerea KM, McGiff JC (2007) Stimulation of rat erythrocyte P2X7 receptor induces the release of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Br J Pharmacol 151:1033–1040
Jiang JX, Gu S (2005) Gap junction- and hemichannel-independent actions of connexins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1711:208–214
John GR, Lee SC, Song X, Rivieccio M, Brosnan CF (2005) IL-1-regulated responses in astrocytes: relevance to injury and recovery. Glia 49:161–176
John SA, Kondo R, Wang SY, Goldhaber JI, Weiss JN (1999) Connexin-43 hemichannels opened by metabolic inhibition. J Biol Chem 274:236–240
Johnston MF, Simon SA, Ramón F (1980) Interaction of anaesthetics with electrical synapses. Nature 286:498–500
Kahlenberg JM, Dubyak GR (2004) Mechanisms of caspase-1 activation by P2X7 receptor-mediated K + release. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 286:C1100–C1108
Kang J, Kang N, Lovatt D, Torres A, Zhao Z, Lin J, Nedergaard M (2008) Connexin 43 hemichannels are permeable to ATP. J Neurosci 28:4702–4711
Kanneganti TD, Lamkanfi M, Kim YG, Chen G, Park JH, Franchi L, Vandenabeele P, Núñez G (2007) Pannexin-1-mediated recognition of bacterial molecules activates the cryopyrin inflammasome independent of Toll-like receptor signaling. Immunity 26:433–443
Kardami E, Dang X, Iacobas DA, Nickel BE, Jeyaraman M, Srisakuldee W, Makazan J, Tanguy S, Spray DC (2007) The role of connexins in controlling cell growth and gene expression. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 94:245–264
Kleopa KA, Scherer SS (2006) Molecular genetics of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Neuromolecular Med 8:107–122
Kondo RP, Wang SY, John SA, Weiss JN, Goldhaber JI (2000) Metabolic inhibition activates a non-selective current through connexin hemichannels in isolated ventricular myocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol 32:1859–1872
Kretz M, Maass K, Willecke K (2004) Expression and function of connexins in the epidermis, analyzed with transgenic mouse mutants. Eur J Cell Biol 83:647–654
Lai CP, Bechberger JF, Thompson RJ, MacVicar BA, Bruzzone R, Naus CC (2007) Tumor-suppressive effects of pannexin 1 in C6 glioma cells. Cancer Res 67:1545–1554
Laird DW (2008) Closing the gap on autosomal dominant connexin-26 and connexin-43 mutants linked to human disease. J Biol Chem 283:2997–3001
Landesman Y, White TW, Starich TA, Shaw JE, Goodenough DA, Paul DL (1999) Innexin-3 forms connexin-like intercellular channels. J Cell Sci 112:2391–2396
Larsen WJ (1977) Structural diversity of gap junctions. A review. Tissue Cell 9:373–394
Leithe E, Sirnes S, Omori Y, Rivedal E (2006) Downregulation of gap junctions in cancer cells. Crit Rev Oncog 12:225–256
Li H, Liu TF, Lazrak A, Peracchia C, Goldberg GS, Lampe PD, Johnson RG (1996) Properties and regulation of gap junctional hemichannels in the plasma membranes of cultured cells. J Cell Biol 134:1019–1030
Lin JH, Lou N, Kang N, Takano T, Hu F, Han X, Xu Q, Lovatt D, Torres A, Willecke K, Yang J, Kang J, Nedergaard M (2008) A central role of connexin 43 in hypoxic preconditioning. J Neurosci 28:681–695
Lin R, Martyn KD, Guyette CV, Lau AF, Warn-Cramer BJ (2006) v-Src tyrosine phosphorylation of connexin43: regulation of gap junction communication and effects on cell tranformation. Cell Commun Adhes 13:199–216
Lipton P (1999) Ischemic cell death in brain neurons. Physiol Rev 79:1431–1568
Liu HT, Tashmukhamedov BA, Inoue H, Okada Y, Sabirov RZ (2006) Roles of two types of anion channels in glutamate release from mouse astrocytes under ischemic or osmotic stress. Glia 54:343–357
Liu TF, Li HY, Atkinson MM, Johnson RG (1996) Comparison of lucifer yellow leakage and cell-to-cell transfer following intracellular injection in normal and antisense Novikoff cells under treatment with low extracellular Ca2+. Meth Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 18:493–497
Locovei S, Bao L, Dahl G (2006) Pannexin 1 in erythrocytes: function without a gap. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 103:7655–7659
Locovei S, Scemes E, Qiu F, Spray DC, Dahl G (2007) Pannexin1 is part of the pore forming unit of the P2X7 receptor death complex. FEBS Lett 581:483–488
Locovei S, Wang J, Dahl G (2006) Activation of pannexin 1 channels by ATP through P2Y receptors and by cytoplasmic calcium. FEBS Lett 580:239–244
Lomax RB, Camello C, Van Coppenolle F, Petersen OH, Tepikin AV (2002) Basal and physiological Ca2+ leak from the endoplasmic reticulum of pancreatic acinar cells. Second messenger-activated channels and translocons. J Biol Chem 277:26479–26485
Mas C, Taske N, Deutsch S, Guipponi M, Thomas P, Covanis A, Friis M, Kjeldsen MJ, Pizzolato GP, Villemure JG, Buresi C, Rees M, Malafosse A, Gardiner M, Antonarakis SE, Meda P (2004) Association of the connexin36 gene with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. J Med Genet 41:e93–e98
Meda P, Spray DC (2000) Gap junction function. Adv Mol Cell Biol 30:263–322
Medler K (2008) Signaling mechanisms controlling taste cell function. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr 18:125–137
Même W, Calvo CF, Froger N, Ezan P, Amigou E, Koulakoff A, Giaume C (2006) Proinflammatory cytokines released from microglia inhibit gap junctions in astrocytes: potentiation by beta-amyloid. FASEB J 20:494–496
Mire P, Nasse J, Venable-Thibodeaux S (2000) Gap junctional communication in the vibration-sensitive response of sea anemones. Hear Res 144:109–123
Morita M, Saruta C, Kozuka N, Okubo Y, Itakura M, Takahashi M, Kudo Y (2007) Dual regulation of astrocyte gap junction hemichannels by growth factors and a pro-inflammatory cytokine via the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade. Glia 55:508–515
Musil LS, Goodenough DA (1991) Biochemical analysis of connexin43 intracellular transport, phosphorylation, and assembly into gap junctional plaques. J Cell Biol 115:1357–1374
Naus CC, Bond SL, Bechberger JF, Rushlow W (2000) Identification of genes differentially expressed in C6 glioma cells transfected with connexin43. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 32:259–266
North RA (2002) Molecular physiology of P2X receptors. Physiol Rev 82:1013–1067
Oakes SA, Scorrano L, Opferman JT, Bassik MC, Nishino M, Pozzan T, Korsmeyer SJ (2005) Proapoptotic BAX and BAK regulate the type 1 inositol trisphosphate receptor and calcium leak from the endoplasmic reticulum. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102:105–110
Oh S, Verselis VK, Bargiello TA (2008) Charges dispersed over the permeation pathway determine the charge selectivity and conductance of a Cx32 chimeric hemichannel. J Physiol 586:2445–2461
Osipchuk Y, Cahalan M (1992) Cell-to-cell spread of calcium signals mediated by ATP receptors in mast cells. Nature 359:241–244
Pahujaa M, Anikin M, Goldberg GS (2007) Phosphorylation of connexin43 induced by Src: regulation of gap junctional communication between transformed cells. Exp Cell Res 313:4083–4090
Panchin YV (2005) Evolution of gap junction proteins—the pannexin alternative. J Exp Biol 208:1415–1419
Parpura V, Scemes E, Spray DC (2004) Mechanisms of glutamate release from astrocytes: gap junction “hemichannels”, purinergic receptors and exocytotic release. Neurochem Int 45:259–264
Paul DL, Ebihara L, Takemoto LJ, Swenson KI, Goodenough DA (1991) Connexin46, a novel lens gap junction protein, induces voltage-gated currents in nonjunctional plasma membrane of Xenopus oocytes. J Cell Biol 115:1077–1089
Pelegrin P, Surprenant A (2006) Pannexin-1 mediates large pore formation and interleukin-1beta release by the ATP-gated P2X7 receptor. EMBO J 25:5071–5082
Penuela S, Bhalla R, Gong XQ, Cowan KN, Celetti SJ, Cowan BJ, Bai D, Shao Q, Laird DW (2007) Pannexin 1 and pannexin 3 are glycoproteins that exhibit many distinct characteristics from the connexin family of gap junction proteins. J Cell Sci 120:3772–3783
Perregaux D, Gabel CA (1994) Interleukin-1 beta maturation and release in response to ATP and nigericin. Evidence that potassium depletion mediated by these agents is a necessary and common feature of their activity. J Biol Chem 269:15195–15203
Petersen MB, Willems PJ (2006) Non-syndromic, autosomal-recessive deafness. Clin Genet 69:371–392
Phelan P (2005) Innexins: members of an evolutionarily conserved family of gap-junction proteins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1711:225–245
Phelan P, Starich TA (2001) Innexins get into the gap. Bioessays 23:388–396
Pinton P, Ferrari D, Magalhães P, Schulze-Osthoff K, Di Virgilio F, Pozzan T, Rizzuto R (2000) Reduced loading of intracellular Ca2+ stores and downregulation of capacitative Ca2+ influx in Bcl-2-overexpressing cells. J Cell Biol 148:857–862
Pointis G, Fiorini C, Gilleron J, Carette D, Segretain D (2007) Connexins as precocious markers and molecular targets for chemical and pharmacological agents in carcinogenesis. Curr Med Chem 14:2288–2303
Prochnow N, Dermietzel R (2008) Connexons and cell adhesion: a romantic phase. Histochem Cell Biol 130:71–77
Qu Y, Dahl G (2004) Accessibility of Cx46 hemichannels for uncharged molecules and its modulation by voltage. Biophys J 86:1502–1509
Quist AP, Rhee SK, Lin H, Lal R (2000) Physiological role of gap-junctional hemichannels. Extracellular calcium-dependent isosmotic volume regulation. J Cell Biol 148:1063–1074
Ramachandran S, Xie LH, John SA, Subramaniam S, Lal R (2007) A novel role for connexin hemichannel in oxidative stress and smoking-induced cell injury. PLoS ONE 2:e712
Ravier MA, Güldenagel M, Charollais A, Gjinovci A, Caille D, Söhl G, Wollheim CB, Willecke K, Henquin JC, Meda P (2005) Loss of connexin36 channels alters beta-cell coupling, islet synchronization of glucose-induced Ca2+ and insulin oscillations, and basal insulin release. Diabetes 54:1798–1807
Retamal MA, Froger N, Palacios-Prado N, Ezan P, Sáez PJ, Sáez JC, Giaume C (2007) Cx43 hemichannels and gap junction channels in astrocytes are regulated oppositely by proinflammatory cytokines released from activated microglia. J Neurosci 27:13781–13792
Retamal MA, Schalper KA, Shoji KF, Bennett MV, Sáez JC (2007) Opening of connexin 43 hemichannels is increased by lowering intracellular redox potential. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:8322–8327
Revel JP, Karnovsky MJ (1967) Hexagonal array of subunits in intercellular junctions of the mouse heart and liver. J Cell Biol 33:C7–C12
Richard G (2005) Connexin disorders of the skin. Clin Dermatol 23:23–32
Rodríguez-Sinovas A, Cabestrero A, López D, Torre I, Morente M, Abellán A, Miró E, Ruiz-Meana M, García-Dorado D (2007) The modulatory effects of connexin 43 on cell death/survival beyond cell coupling. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 94:219–232
Romanov RA, Rogachevskaja OA, Bystrova MF, Jiang P, Margolskee RF, Kolesnikov SS (2007) Afferent neurotransmission mediated by hemichannels in mammalian taste cells. EMBO J 26:657–667
Sabag AD, Dagan O, Avraham KB (2005) Connexins in hearing loss: a comprehensive overview. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 16:101–116
Saez JC, Retamal MA, Basilio D, Bukauskas FF, Bennett MV (2005) Connexin-based gap junction hemichannels: gating mechanisms. Biochim Biophys Acta 1711:215–224
Scemes E (2008) Modulation of astrocyte P2Y1 receptors by the carboxyl terminal domain of the gap junction protein Cx43. Glia 56:145–153
Scemes E, Bavamian S, Charollais A, Spray DC, Meda P (2008) Lack of “hemichannel” activity in insulin-producing cells. Cell Commun Adhes 15:143–154
Scemes E, Suadicani SO, Dahl G, Spray DC (2007) Connexin and pannexin mediated cell-cell communication. Neuron Glia Biol 3:199–208
Schalper KA, Palacios-Prado N, Orellana JA, Sáez JC (2008) Currently used methods for identification and characterization of hemichannels. Cell Commun Adhes 15:207–218
Schalper KA, Palacios-Prado N, Retamal MA, Shoji KF, Martínez AD, Sáez JC (2008) Connexin hemichannel composition determines the FGF-1-induced membrane permeability and free [Ca2+]i responses. Mol Biol Cell 19:3501–3513
Schilling WP, Wasylyna T, Dubyak GR, Humphreys BD, Sinkins WG (1999) Maitotoxin and P2Z/P2X7 purinergic receptor stimulation activate a common cytolytic pore. Am J Physiol 277:C766–C776
Schock SC, Leblanc D, Hakim AM, Thompson CS (2008) ATP release by way of connexin 36 hemichannels mediates ischemic tolerance in vitro. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 368:138–144
Schulz R, Boengler K, Totzeck A, Luo Y, Garcia-Dorado D, Heusch G (2007) Connexin 43 in ischemic pre- and postconditioning. Heart Fail Rev 12:261–266
Severs NJ, Dupont E, Thomas N, Kaba R, Rothery S, Jain R, Sharpey K, Fry CH (2006) Alterations in cardiac connexin expression in cardiomyopathies. Adv Cardiol 42:228–242
Shestopalov VI, Panchin Y (2008) Pannexins and gap junction protein diversity. Cell Mol Life Sci 65:376–394
Shields CR, Klooster J, Claassen Y, Ul-Hussain M, Zoidl G, Dermietzel R, Kamermans M (2007) Retinal horizontal cell-specific promoter activity and protein expression of zebrafish connexin 52.6 and connexin 55.5. J Comp Neurol 501:765–779
Shintani-Ishida K, Uemura K, Yoshida K (2007) Hemichannels in cardiomyocytes open transiently during ischemia and contribute to reperfusion injury following brief ischemia. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 293:H1714–H1720
Socolar SJ, Politoff AL (1971) Uncoupling cell junctions in a glandular epithelium by depolarizing current. Science 172:492–494
Söhl G, Maxeiner S, Willecke K (2005) Expression and functions of neuronal gap junctions. Nat Rev Neurosci 6:191–200
Söhl G, Odermatt B, Maxeiner S, Degen J, Willecke K (2004) New insights into the expression and function of neural connexins with transgenic mouse mutants. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 47:245–259
Sprague RS, Ellsworth ML, Stephenson AH, Kleinhenz ME, Lonigro AJ (1998) Deformation-induced ATP release from red blood cells requires CFTR activity. Am J Physiol 275:H1726–H1732
Spray DC, Harris AL, Bennett MV (1979) Voltage dependence of junctional conductance in early amphibian embryos. Science 204:432–434
Spray DC, Iacobas DA (2007) Organizational principles of the connexin-related brain transcriptome. J Membr Biol 218:39–47
Spray DC, Ye ZC, Ramson BR (2006) Functional connexin “hemichannels”: a critical appraisal. Glia 54:758–773
Srinivas M, Calderon DP, Kronengold J, Verselis VK (2006) Regulation of connexin hemichannels by monovalent cations. J Gen Physiol 127:67–75
Srinivas M, Kronengold J, Bukauskas FF, Bargiello TA, Verselis VK (2005) Correlative studies of gating in Cx46 and Cx50 hemichannels and gap junction channels. Biophys J 88:1725–1739
Stebbings LA, Todman MG, Phelan P, Bacon JP, Davies JA (2000) Two Drosophila innexins are expressed in overlapping domains and cooperate to form gap-junction channels. Mol Biol Cell 11:2459–2470
Steinberg TH, Newman AS, Swanson JA, Silverstein SC (1987) ATP4− permeabilizes the plasma membrane of mouse macrophages to fluorescent dyes. J Biol Chem 262:8884–8888
Stoka AM (1999) Phylogeny and evolution of chemical communication: an endocrine approach. J Mol Endocrinol 22:207–225
Stong BC, Chang Q, Ahmad S, Lin X (2006) A novel mechanism for connexin 26 mutation linked deafness: cell death caused by leaky gap junction hemichannels. Laryngoscope 116:2205–2210
Stout C, Charles A (2003) Modulation of intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes by extracellular calcium and magnesium. Glia 43:265–273
Stout C, Goodenough DA, Paul DL (2004) Connexins: functions without junctions. 16:507–512
Stout CE, Costantin JL, Naus CC, Charles AC (2002) Intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes via ATP release through connexin hemichannels. J Biol Chem 277:10482–10488
Suadicani SO, Brosnan CF, Scemes E (2006) P2X7 receptors mediate ATP release and amplification of astrocytic intercellular Ca2+ signaling. J Neurosci 26:1378–1385
Suadicani SO, Flores CE, Urban-Maldonado M, Beelitz M, Scemes E (2004) Gap junction channels coordinate the propagation of intercellular Ca2+ signals generated by P2Y receptor activation. Glia 48:217–229
Surprenant A, Rassendren F, Kawashima E, North RA, Buell G (1996) The cytolytic P2Z receptor for extracellular ATP identified as a P2X receptor (P2X7). Science 272:735–738
Takeuchi H, Jin S, Wang J, Zhang G, Kawanokuchi J, Kuno R, Sonobe Y, Mizuno T, Suzumura A (2006) Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces neurotoxicity via glutamate release from hemichannels of activated microglia in an autocrine manner. J Biol Chem 281:21362–21368
Tao L, Harris AL (2007) 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate directly inhibits channels composed of connexin26 and/or connexin32. Mol Pharmacol 71:570–579
Tatham PE, Lindau M (1990) ATP-induced pore formation in the plasma membrane of rat peritoneal mast cells. J Gen Physiol 95:459–476
Tazuke SI, Schulz C, Gilboa L, Fogarty M, Mahowald AP, Guichet A, Ephrussi A, Wood CG, Lehmann R, Fuller MT (2002) A germline-specific gap junction protein required for survival of differentiating early germ cells. Development 129:2529–2539
Thompson RJ, Zhou N, MacVicar BA (2006) Ischemia opens neuronal gap junction hemichannels. Science 312:924–927
Tong D, Li TY, Naus KE, Bai D, Kidder GM (2007) In vivo analysis of undocked connexin43 gap junction hemichannels in ovarian granulosa cells. J Cell Sci 120:4016–4024
Tong JJ, Ebihara L (2006) Structural determinants for the differences in voltage gating of chicken Cx56 and Cx45.6 gap-junctional hemichannels. Biophys J 91:2142–2154
Toyoshima C, Nomura H (2002) Structural changes in the calcium pump accompanying the dissociation of calcium. Nature 418:605–611
Trexler EB, Bukauskas FF, Bennett MV, Bargiello TA, Verselis VK (1999) Rapid and direct effects of pH on connexins revealed by the connexin46 hemichannel preparation. J Gen Physiol 113:721–742
Trinkaus JP (1984) Cells into organs. The forces that shape the embryo, 2nd edn. Prentice-Hall Inc, Englewood USA, p 543
Van Coppenolle F, Vanden Abeele F, Slomianny C, Flourakis M, Hesketh J, Dewailly E, Prevarskaya N (2004) Ribosome–translocon complex mediates calcium leakage from endoplasmic reticulum stores. J Cell Sci 117:4135–4142
Vanden Abeele F, Bidaux G, Gordienko D, Beck B, Panchin YV, Baranova AV, Ivanov DV, Skryma R, Prevarskaya N (2006) Functional implications of calcium permeability of the channel formed by pannexin 1. J Cell Biol 174:535–546
Verselis VK, Trexler EB, Bukauskas FF (2000) Connexin hemichannels and cell-cell channels: comparison of properties. Braz J Med Biol Res 33:379–389
Wang EC, Lee JM, Ruiz WG, Balestreire EM, von Bodungen M, Barrick S, Cockayne DA, Birder LA, Apodaca G (2005) ATP and purinergic receptor-dependent membrane traffic in bladder umbrella cells. J Clin Invest 115:2412–2422
Wang J, Ma M, Locovei S, Keane RW, Dahl G (2007) Modulation of membrane channel currents by gap junction protein mimetic peptides: size matters. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 293:C1112–C1119
Watanabe M, Iwashita M, Ishii M, Kurachi Y, Kawakami A, Kondo S, Okada N (2006) Spot pattern of leopard Danio is caused by mutation in the zebrafish connexin41.8 gene. EMBO Rep 7:893–897
White TW, Paul DL (1999) Genetic diseases and gene knockouts reveal diverse connexin functions. Annu Rev Physiol 61:283–310
Wong CW, Christen T, Roth I, Chadjichristos CE, Derouette JP, Foglia BF, Chanson M, Goodenough DA, Kwak BR (2006) Connexin37 protects against atherosclerosis by regulating monocyte adhesion. Nat Med 12:950–954
Ye ZC, Wyeth MS, Baltan-Tekkok S, Ransom BR (2003) Functional hemichannels in astrocytes: a novel mechanism of glutamate release. J Neurosci 23:3588–3596
Yen MR, Saier MH (2007) Gap junctional proteins of animals: the innexin/pannexin superfamily. 94:5–14
Young MT, Pelegrin P, Surprenant A (2007) Amino acid residues in the P2X7 receptor that mediate differential sensitivity to ATP and BzATP. Mol Pharmacol 71:92–100
Yu J, Bippes CA, Hand GM, Muller DJ, Sosinsky GE (2007) Aminosulfonate modulated pH-induced conformational changes in connexin26 hemichannels. J Biol Chem 282:8895–8904
Zampighi GA (2003) Distribution of connexin50 channels and hemichannels in lens fibers: a structural approach. Cell Commun Adhes 10:265–270
Zhang L, Deng T, Sun Y, Liu K, Yang Y, Zheng X (2008) Role for nitric oxide in permeability of hippocampal neuronal hemichannels during oxygen glucose deprivation. J Neurosci Res 86:2281–2291
Zimniak P, Little JM, Radominska A, Oelberg DG, Anwer MS, Lester R (1991) Taurine-conjugated bile acids act as Ca2+ ionophores. Biochemistry 30:8598–8604
Acknowledgments
Work of our teams is supported by grants from the National Institute of Health (HD32573, NS41282, NS52245), the Swiss National Science Foundation (310000–122430), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (1-2007-158), Novo Nordisk, and the European Union (FP7-222980).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scemes, E., Spray, D.C. & Meda, P. Connexins, pannexins, innexins: novel roles of “hemi-channels”. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 457, 1207–1226 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-008-0591-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-008-0591-5