Resveratrol counteracts gallic acid-induced down-regulation of gap-junction intercellular communication

Breast cancer (BC) is a global public health burden, constituting the highest cancer incidence in women worldwide. Connexins 43 proteins propagate intercellular communication, gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC), remarkably expressed in several tumor types including liver, prostate, and breast. This domain of Cx43 possesses functionally critical sites identical to those involved in gating of channel and phosphorylation sites for various kinases. However, the mechanism by which Cx43 down regulation occurs in breast cancer is far from clear. Several mechanisms like Cx43 promoter hyper-methylation or a cancer-specific reduction of Cx43 expression/trafficking by the modulation of various components of the Cx43 life cycle give the idea to be involved in the down regulation of Connexins in mammary glands, but irreversible mutational alterations have not yet been proved to be among them. Summarily, the efficacy or specificity of these drugs can be increased by a combinatory approach considering an effect on both the Connexins and their regulatory molecules. This chapter will summarize the knowledge about the connexins and gap junction activities in breast cancer highlighting the differential expression and functional dynamics of connexins in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Download Full-text

Extract from the Zooxanthellate Jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata Modulates Gap Junction Intercellular Communication in Human Cell Cultures

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md11051728 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 1728-1762 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Antonella Leone ◽

Raffaella Lecci ◽

Miriana Durante ◽

Stefano Piraino

Keyword(s):

Gap Junction ◽

Cell Cultures ◽

Human Cell ◽

Intercellular Communication ◽

Gap Junction Intercellular Communication ◽

Human Cell Cultures

Download Full-text

Connexin expression by alveolar epithelial cells is regulated by extracellular matrix

AJP Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajplung.2001.280.2.l191 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 280 (2) ◽

pp. L191-L202 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Yihe Guo ◽

Cara Martinez-Williams ◽

Clare E. Yellowley ◽

Henry J. Donahue ◽

D. Eugene Rannels

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Gap Junction ◽

Intercellular Communication ◽

Translational Regulation ◽

Alveolar Epithelial Cells ◽

Alveolar Type ◽

Type Ii ◽

Gap Junction Intercellular Communication ◽

Type Ii Cell

Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins promote attachment, spreading, and differentiation of cultured alveolar type II epithelial cells. The present studies address the hypothesis that the ECM also regulates expression and function of gap junction proteins, connexins, in this cell population. Expression of cellular fibronectin and connexin (Cx) 43 increase in parallel during early type II cell culture as Cx26 expression declines. Gap junction intercellular communication is established over the same interval. Cells plated on a preformed, type II cell-derived, fibronectin-rich ECM demonstrate accelerated formation of gap junction plaques and elevated gap junction intercellular communication. These effects are blocked by antibodies against fibronectin, which cause redistribution of Cx43 protein from the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm. Conversely, cells cultured on a laminin-rich ECM, Matrigel, express low levels of Cx43 but high levels of Cx26, reflecting both transcriptional and translational regulation. Cx26 and Cx43 thus demonstrate reciprocal regulation by ECM constituents.

Download Full-text