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Connexins and Information Transfer Through Glia

  • Chapter
The Functional Roles of Glial Cells in Health and Disease

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 468))

Abstract

In most vertebrate tissues, direct electrical and biochemical communication between groups of adjacent cells is mediated by intercellular channels which are present in gap junctions. A complete intercellular channel spans two plasma membranes and is formed by the alignment of two half-channels, termed connexons, that interact in the extracellular space to provide a relatively large hydrated pore between the cytoplasm of the coupled cells (White and Paul, 1999). Each connexon is an oligomer of structural subunit proteins, called connexins (Cx), which form a multigene family whose members are distinguished according to their predicted molecular mass in kDa. More than a dozen connexins have been characterized to date in mammals. Because most cells express multiple connexins, adjacent cells can assemble different types of connexons and contribute to the formation of either homotypic, heterotypic, or heteromeric channels (Fig. 1). In this chapter we will refer to connexin channels when reviewing the molecular properties of intercellular channels and to either coupling, gap junctional or intercellular communication when discussing the general aspects of cell-cell communication. Clearly, these terms are functionally equivalent. We have selected only a few aspects of connexin properties and function in glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS), with emphasis on the issues that are likely to shape this area of research in the near future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Pasteur, Unité de Neurovirologie et Régénération du Système Nerveux, F-75724, Paris, Cedex 15, France

    Roberto Bruzzone

  2. Collège de France, INSERM U114, F-75231, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    Christian Giaume

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  1. Roberto Bruzzone
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  2. Christian Giaume
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland

    Marco Tsacopoulos

  2. Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece

    Rebecca Matsas

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Bruzzone, R., Giaume, C. (1999). Connexins and Information Transfer Through Glia. In: Matsas, R., Tsacopoulos, M. (eds) The Functional Roles of Glial Cells in Health and Disease. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 468. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4685-6_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4685-6_26

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