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Hemichannels; from the molecule to the function
Coordinated cell interactions are required to accomplish several complex and dynamic tasks observed in several tissues. Cell function may be coordinated by cell-to-cell communication through gap junctions channels (GJCs). These channels are formed by the serial docking of two hemichannels, which in turn are formed by six protein subunits called connexins (Cxs). It is well known that GJCs are involved in several functions, such as intercellular propagation of calcium waves, spread of electrotonic potentialsand spatial buffering of ions and metabolites. On the other hand, undocked hemichannels, which are not forming GJCs, can also serve other functions as “free hemichannels”. Currently, it...
From Ion Channels to Cell-to-Cell Conversations
Ion channels allow us to see nature in all its magnificence, to hear a Bach suite, to smell the aroma of grandmother's cooking, and, in this regard, they put us in contact with the external world. These ion channels are protein molecules located in the cell membrane. In complex organisms, cells need to communicate in order to know about their metabolic status and to act in a coordinate manner. The latter is also accomplished by a class of ion channels able to pierce the lipid bilayer membranes of two adjacent cells. These intercellular channels are the functional subunits of gap junctions. Accordingly, the book is divided in two parts: the first part is dedicated to ion channels that look to...
Gap Junction Channels and Hemichannels
Gap junction channels are a group of intercellular channels expressed in tissues and organs to synchronize many physiological processes. A gap junction channel is formed by the docking of two hemichannels, and each hemichannel is a hexamer of connexins. The field of gap junction channel and hemichannel research has recently exploded and became one of the most active areas of cell biology. Numerous novel approaches and techniques have been developed, but there is no single book dedicated to the unique techniques and protocols employed for the research on these large pore channels. This book fills the gap and focuses on protocols, approaches and reviews of gap junction channels and connexin hemichannels. It will be a useful reference for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers. Anyone with an interest in gap junction channels and hemichannels will need this summary of state-of-the-art techniques and protocols.
Single Membrane Channels Formed by Connexins or Pannexins: Focus on the Nervous System
Given that the extremely elaborated and dynamic functions performed by the nervous system require the close synchronization of brain cells, complex organisms have developed different mechanisms of intercellular communication. At this regard, paracrine signaling between neighboring cells is currently recognized as one of the most widely distributed mechanisms of synchronization in the brain parenchyma. In mammals, paracrine signaling is in part mediated by single membrane channels formed by connexins (connexons/hemichannels) or pannexins (pannexons), which are two different membrane protein families composed of about 20 and 3 members, respectively. Single membrane channels formed by these pro...
Gap Junctions
The objective in editing this volume was twofold: to provide a reasoned overview of the field as well as to furnish one that provided this overview within the context of the intellectual boundaries of those who initially attempted to define the purview of gap junction research. The latter objective has been realized by selecting the topics for review in this volume. The former objective was achieved by securing the cooperation of leaders in their fields as chapter co-authors.
Biology of Trypanosoma cruzi
Trypanosoma cruzi, an important zoonotic protozoan that causes Chagas disease, affects at least 8 million people in Latin America. Chagas disease is an important life-long infection in humans that can be divided into distinct clinical stages: the acute phase, where patient symptoms can vary from asymptomatic to severe; the indeterminate form, which is usually asymptomatic; and the chronic phase, where cardiomyopathy and/or digestive megasyndromes appear. In addition to its medical importance, T. cruzi is an interesting biological model for studying processes such as: (1) cell differentiation, where a non-infective stage transforms into an infective one; (2) cell invasion, where the infective...
