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Connexins pp 207–224Cite as

Pharmacology of Connexin Channels

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Abstract

Connexin channels play a wide variety of roles in different cell types and tissues. Genetic and molecular approaches have proven useful for understanding the roles of these proteins in tissue function. Identification and characterization of specific and high-affinity inhibitors of these channels would greatly assist investigation of their physiological function; however, progress in this area has been slow. Nevertheless, recent studies have identified a number of small molecules and peptides that inhibit connexin channels. Although the specificity of these new drugs for connexin channels remains problematic, several of these reagents inhibit channels in an isoform-specific manner and do so with reasonable potency. These reagents are likely to be useful for acute studies that investigate the physiological roles of different connexin channels. In addition, some agents appear to bind within the permeability pathway and may be useful in structure-function studies of the pore.

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Acknowledgments

Work in the author’s laboratory related to this topic was supported by National Eye Institute (NEI) grant EY13869.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York College of Optometry, Biological Sciences, 33 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036, US

    Miduturu Srinivas

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  1. Miduturu Srinivas
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Correspondence to Miduturu Srinivas .

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  1. New Jersey Medical School UMDNJ, Newark, NJ, USA

    Andrew L. Harris  & Darren Locke  & 

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© 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Srinivas, M. (2009). Pharmacology of Connexin Channels. In: Harris, A.L., Locke, D. (eds) Connexins. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-489-6_8

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