PUBLICATION
Xenopus connexins: how frogs bridge the gap
- Authors
- de Boer, T.P., and van der Heyden, M.A.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-051019-1
- Date
- 2005
- Source
- Differentiation; research in biological diversity 73(7): 330-340 (Review)
- Registered Authors
- Keywords
- Xenopus, connexin, pannexin, gap, junction, development, mouse, zebrafish
- MeSH Terms
-
- Embryo, Mammalian
- Connexins/analysis
- Connexins/chemistry
- Connexins/genetics
- Connexins/physiology*
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Conserved Sequence
- Zebrafish/genetics
- Zebrafish/physiology
- Forecasting
- Anura/genetics
- Anura/physiology*
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Gap Junctions/chemistry
- Gap Junctions/physiology*
- Cell Communication
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Mice/genetics
- Mice/physiology
- Animals
- Xenopus/genetics
- Xenopus/physiology*
- PubMed
- 16219037 Full text @ Differentiation
Citation
de Boer, T.P., and van der Heyden, M.A. (2005) Xenopus connexins: how frogs bridge the gap. Differentiation; research in biological diversity. 73(7):330-340.
Abstract
Animal species use specialized cell-to-cell channels, called gap junctions, to allow for a direct exchange of ions and small metabolites between their cells' cytoplasm. In invertebrates, gap junctions are formed by innexins, while vertebrates use connexin (Cx) proteins as gap-junction-building blocks. Recently, innexin homologs have been found in vertebrates and named pannexins. From progress in the different genome projects, it has become evident that every class of vertebrates uses their own unique set of Cxs to build their gap junctions. Here, we review all known Xenopus Cxs with respect to their expression, regulation, and function. We compare Xenopus Cxs with those of zebrafish and mouse, and provide evidence for the existence of several additional, non-identified, amphibian Cxs. Finally, we identify two new Xenopus pannexins by screening EST libraries.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping