Mobile lipid bilayer on agar-coated electrode: Toward modeling cellular communication via gap junction

In vertebrates, connexins (Cxs) and pannexins (Panxs) are proteins that form gap junction channels and/or hemichannels located at cell-cell interfaces and cell surface, respectively. Similar channel types are formed by innexins in invertebrate cells. These channels serve as pathways for cellular communication that coordinate diverse physiologic processes. However, it is known that many acquired and inherited diseases deregulate Cx and/or Panx channels, condition that frequently worsens the pathological state of vertebrates. Recent evidences suggest that Cx and/or Panx hemichannels play a relevant role in bacterial and viral infections. Nonetheless, little is known about the role of Cx- and Panx-based channels in parasitic infections of vertebrates. In this review, available data on changes in Cx and gap junction channel changes induced by parasitic infections are summarized. Additionally, we describe recent findings that suggest possible roles of hemichannels in parasitic infections. Finally, the possibility of new therapeutic designs based on hemichannel blokers is presented.

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Adipokines Deregulate Cellular Communication via Epigenetic Repression of Gap Junction Loci in Obese Endometrial Cancer

Cancer Research ◽

10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-1615 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. canres.1615.2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Srikanth R Polusani ◽

Yi-Wen Huang ◽

Guangcun Huang ◽

Chun-Wei Chen ◽

Chiou-Miin Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endometrial Cancer ◽

Gap Junction ◽

Cellular Communication ◽

Epigenetic Repression

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Improving Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles by Utilizing Nanomaterials

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes12010055 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 55

Author(s):

Haiyang Zhang ◽

Qi Zhang ◽

Yuanyuan Deng ◽

Mengxi Chen ◽

Chenxi Yang

Keyword(s):

Lipid Bilayer ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Cellular Communication ◽

Clinical Settings ◽

The Past ◽

Clinical Biomarkers ◽

New Form ◽

Potential Use

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as the new form of cellular communication have been demonstrated their potential use for disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. EVs are vesicles with a lipid bilayer and are present in various biofluids, such as blood, saliva and urine. Therefore, EVs have emerged as one of the most appealing sources for the discovery of clinical biomarkers. However, isolation of the target EVs from different biofluids is required for the use of EVs as diagnostic and therapeutic entities in clinical settings. Owing to their unique properties and versatile functionalities, nanomaterials have been widely investigated for EV isolation with the aim to provide rapid, simple, and efficient EV enrichment. Herein, this review presents the progress of nanomaterial-based isolations for EVs over the past five years (from 2017 to 2021) and discusses the use of nanomaterials for EV isolations based on the underlying mechanism in order to offer insights into the design of nanomaterials for EV isolations.

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The Nature of the Intramembrane Particle

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s1431927600003020 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 38 ◽

pp. 688-691

Author(s):

A.J. Verkleij

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Tight Junction ◽

Gap Junction ◽

The Other ◽

Fracture Face ◽

Band 3 Protein ◽

Satisfactory Explanation ◽

Freeze Fracturing ◽

Intramembrane Particle ◽

Luminal Membrane

Freeze-fracturing splits membranes into two helves, thus allowing an examination of the membrane interior. The 5-10 rm particles visible on both monolayers are widely assumed to be proteinaceous in nature. Most membranes do not reveal impressions complementary to particles on the opposite fracture face, if the membranes are fractured under conditions without etching. Even if it is considered that shadowing, contamination or fracturing itself might obscure complementary pits', there is no satisfactory explanation why under similar physical circimstances matching halves of other membranes can be visualized. A prominent example of uncomplementarity is found in the erythrocyte manbrane. It is wall established that band 3 protein and possibly glycophorin represents these nonccmplanentary particles. On the other hand a number of membrane types show pits opposite the particles. Scme well known examples are the ";gap junction',"; tight junction, the luminal membrane of the bladder epithelial cells and the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

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