1
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McMahon DG, Dowling JE. Neuromodulation: Actions of Dopamine, Retinoic Acid, Nitric Oxide, and Other Substances on Retinal Horizontal Cells. Eye Brain 2023; 15:125-137. [PMID: 37928979 PMCID: PMC10625386 DOI: 10.2147/eb.s420050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas excitation and inhibition of neurons are well understood, it is clear that neuromodulatory influences on neurons and their synapses play a major role in shaping neural activity in the brain. Memory and learning, emotional and other complex behaviors, as well as cognitive disorders have all been related to neuromodulatory mechanisms. A number of neuroactive substances including monoamines such as dopamine and neuropeptides have been shown to act as neuromodulators, but other substances thought to play very different roles in the body and brain act as neuromodulators, such as retinoic acid. We still understand little about how neuromodulatory substances exert their effects, and the present review focuses on how two such substances, dopamine and retinoic acid, exert their effects. The emphasis is on the underlying neuromodulatory mechanisms down to the molecular level that allow the second order bipolar cells and the output neurons of the retina, the ganglion cells, to respond to different environmental (ie lighting) conditions. The modulation described affects a simple circuit in the outer retina, involves several neuroactive substances and is surprisingly complex and not fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G McMahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - John E Dowling
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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2
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Khan AK, Jagielnicki M, McIntire WE, Purdy MD, Dharmarajan V, Griffin PR, Yeager M. A Steric “Ball-and-Chain” Mechanism for pH-Mediated Regulation of Gap Junction Channels. Cell Rep 2020; 31:107482. [PMID: 32320665 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junction channels (GJCs) mediate intercellular communication and are gated by numerous conditions such as pH. The electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) structure of Cx26 GJC at physiological pH recapitulates previous GJC structures in lipid bilayers. At pH 6.4, we identify two conformational states, one resembling the open physiological-pH structure and a closed conformation that displays six threads of density, that join to form a pore-occluding density. Crosslinking and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry reveal closer association between the N-terminal (NT) domains and the cytoplasmic loops (CL) at acidic pH. Previous electrophysiologic studies suggest an association between NT residue N14 and H100 near M2, which may trigger the observed movement of M2 toward M1 in our cryo-EM maps, thereby accounting for additional NT-CL crosslinks at acidic pH. We propose that these pH-induced interactions and conformational changes result in extension, ordering, and association of the acetylated NT domains to form a hexameric "ball-and-chain" gating particle.
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3
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Gilbert R, Peto T, Lengyel I, Emri E. Zinc Nutrition and Inflammation in the Aging Retina. Mol Nutr Food Res 2019; 63:e1801049. [PMID: 31148351 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201801049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Zinc is an essential nutrient for human health. It plays key roles in maintaining protein structure and stability, serves as catalytic factor for many enzymes, and regulates diverse fundamental cellular processes. Zinc is important in affecting signal transduction and, in particular, in the development and integrity of the immune system, where it affects both innate and adaptive immune responses. The eye, especially the retina-choroid complex, has an unusually high concentration of zinc compared to other tissues. The highest amount of zinc is concentrated in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) (RPE-choroid, 292 ± 98.5 µg g-1 dry tissue), followed by the retina (123 ± 62.2 µg g-1 dry tissue). The interplay between zinc and inflammation has been explored in other parts of the body but, so far, has not been extensively researched in the eye. Several lines of evidence suggest that ocular zinc concentration decreases with age, especially in the context of age-related disease. Thus, a hypothesis that retinal function could be modulated by zinc nutrition is proposed, and subsequently trialled clinically. In this review, the distribution and the potential role of zinc in the retina-choroid complex is outlined, especially in relation to inflammation and immunity, and the clinical studies to date are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie Gilbert
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, City Road, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.,UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London, EC1V 2EL, UK
| | - Tunde Peto
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Ireland
| | - Imre Lengyel
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Bath Street, London, EC1V 2EL, UK.,School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Ireland
| | - Eszter Emri
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Ireland
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4
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Country MW, Jonz MG. Calcium dynamics and regulation in horizontal cells of the vertebrate retina: lessons from teleosts. J Neurophysiol 2017; 117:523-536. [PMID: 27832601 PMCID: PMC5288477 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00585.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Horizontal cells (HCs) are inhibitory interneurons of the vertebrate retina. Unlike typical neurons, HCs are chronically depolarized in the dark, leading to a constant influx of Ca2+ Therefore, mechanisms of Ca2+ homeostasis in HCs must differ from neurons elsewhere in the central nervous system, which undergo excitotoxicity when they are chronically depolarized or stressed with Ca2+ HCs are especially well characterized in teleost fish and have been used to unlock mysteries of the vertebrate retina for over one century. More recently, mammalian models of the retina have been increasingly informative for HC physiology. We draw from both teleost and mammalian models in this review, using a comparative approach to examine what is known about Ca2+ pathways in vertebrate HCs. We begin with a survey of Ca2+-permeable ion channels, exchangers, and pumps and summarize Ca2+ influx and efflux pathways, buffering, and intracellular stores. This includes evidence for Ca2+-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors and for voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Special attention is given to interactions between ion channels, to differences among species, and in which subtypes of HCs these channels have been found. We then discuss a number of unresolved issues pertaining to Ca2+ dynamics in HCs, including a potential role for Ca2+ in feedback to photoreceptors, the role for Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release, and the properties and functions of Ca2+-based action potentials. This review aims to highlight the unique Ca2+ dynamics in HCs, as these are inextricably tied to retinal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Country
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael G Jonz
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Peralta FA, Huidobro-Toro JP. Zinc as Allosteric Ion Channel Modulator: Ionotropic Receptors as Metalloproteins. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:E1059. [PMID: 27384555 PMCID: PMC4964435 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17071059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc is an essential metal to life. This transition metal is a structural component of many proteins and is actively involved in the catalytic activity of cell enzymes. In either case, these zinc-containing proteins are metalloproteins. However, the amino acid residues that serve as ligands for metal coordination are not necessarily the same in structural proteins compared to enzymes. While crystals of structural proteins that bind zinc reveal a higher preference for cysteine sulfhydryls rather than histidine imidazole rings, catalytic enzymes reveal the opposite, i.e., a greater preference for the histidines over cysteines for catalysis, plus the influence of carboxylic acids. Based on this paradigm, we reviewed the putative ligands of zinc in ionotropic receptors, where zinc has been described as an allosteric modulator of channel receptors. Although these receptors do not strictly qualify as metalloproteins since they do not normally bind zinc in structural domains, they do transitorily bind zinc at allosteric sites, modifying transiently the receptor channel's ion permeability. The present contribution summarizes current information showing that zinc allosteric modulation of receptor channels occurs by the preferential metal coordination to imidazole rings as well as to the sulfhydryl groups of cysteine in addition to the carboxyl group of acid residues, as with enzymes and catalysis. It is remarkable that most channels, either voltage-sensitive or transmitter-gated receptor channels, are susceptible to zinc modulation either as positive or negative regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Andrés Peralta
- Laboratorio de Farmacología de Nucleótidos, Laboratorio de Farmacología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, y Centro para el Desarrollo de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología (CEDENNA), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Alameda Libertador B. O'Higgins, 3363 Santiago, Chile.
| | - Juan Pablo Huidobro-Toro
- Laboratorio de Farmacología de Nucleótidos, Laboratorio de Farmacología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, y Centro para el Desarrollo de Nanociencias y Nanotecnología (CEDENNA), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Alameda Libertador B. O'Higgins, 3363 Santiago, Chile.
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6
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Rutter GA, Hodson DJ. Beta cell connectivity in pancreatic islets: a type 2 diabetes target? Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:453-467. [PMID: 25323131 PMCID: PMC11113448 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1755-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Beta cell connectivity describes the phenomenon whereby the islet context improves insulin secretion by providing a three-dimensional platform for intercellular signaling processes. Thus, the precise flow of information through homotypically interconnected beta cells leads to the large-scale organization of hormone release activities, influencing cell responses to glucose and other secretagogues. Although a phenomenon whose importance has arguably been underappreciated in islet biology until recently, a growing number of studies suggest that such cell-cell communication is a fundamental property of this micro-organ. Hence, connectivity may plausibly be targeted by both environmental and genetic factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to perturb normal beta cell function and insulin release. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to beta cell connectivity, discuss how these may fail during T2DM, and examine approaches to restore insulin secretion by boosting cell communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy A Rutter
- Section of Cell Biology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
| | - David J Hodson
- Section of Cell Biology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
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7
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Ripps H, Chappell RL. Review: Zinc's functional significance in the vertebrate retina. Mol Vis 2014; 20:1067-74. [PMID: 25324679 PMCID: PMC4119231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This review covers a broad range of topics related to the actions of zinc on the cells of the vertebrate retina. Much of this review relies on studies in which zinc was applied exogenously, and therefore the results, albeit highly suggestive, lack physiologic significance. This view stems from the fact that the concentrations of zinc used in these studies may not be encountered under the normal circumstances of life. This caveat is due to the lack of a zinc-specific probe with which to measure the concentrations of Zn(2+) that may be released from neurons or act upon them. However, a great deal of relevant information has been garnered from studies in which Zn(2+) was chelated, and the effects of its removal compared with findings obtained in its presence. For a more complete discussion of the consequences of depletion or excess in the body's trace elements, the reader is referred to a recent review by Ugarte et al. in which they provide a detailed account of the interactions, toxicity, and metabolic activity of the essential trace elements iron, zinc, and copper in retinal physiology and disease. In addition, Smart et al. have published a splendid review on the modulation by zinc of inhibitory and excitatory amino acid receptor ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris Ripps
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL,The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA
| | - Richard L. Chappell
- The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA,Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College and Ph.D. Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, NY
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8
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Sanchez HA, Bienkowski R, Slavi N, Srinivas M, Verselis VK. Altered inhibition of Cx26 hemichannels by pH and Zn2+ in the A40V mutation associated with keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:21519-32. [PMID: 24939841 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.578757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive opening of undocked Cx26 hemichannels in the plasma membrane is associated with disease pathogenesis in keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome. Thus far, excessive opening of KID mutant hemichannels has been attributed, almost solely, to aberrant inhibition by extracellular Ca(2+). This study presents two new possible contributing factors, pH and Zn(2+). Plasma pH levels and micromolar concentrations of Zn(2+) inhibit WT Cx26 hemichannels. However, A40V KID mutant hemichannels show substantially reduced inhibition by these factors. Using excised patches, acidification was shown to be effective from either side of the membrane, suggesting a protonation site accessible to H(+) flux through the pore. Sensitivity to pH was not dependent on extracellular aminosulfonate pH buffers. Single channel recordings showed that acidification did not affect unitary conductance or block the hemichannel but rather promoted gating to the closed state with transitions characteristic of the intrinsic loop gating mechanism. Examination of two nearby KID mutants in the E1 domain, G45E and D50N, showed no changes in modulation by pH or Zn(2+). N-bromo-succinimide, but not thiol-specific reagents, attenuated both pH and Zn(2+) responses. Individually mutating each of the five His residues in WT Cx26 did not reveal a key His residue that conferred sensitivity to pH or Zn(2+). From these data and the crystal structure of Cx26 that suggests that Ala-40 contributes to an intrasubunit hydrophobic core, the principal effect of the A40V mutation is probably a perturbation in structure that affects loop gating, thereby affecting multiple factors that act to close Cx26 hemichannels via this gating mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmuth A Sanchez
- From the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461
| | - Rick Bienkowski
- the Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, and
| | - Nefeli Slavi
- the Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY College of Optometry, New York, New York 10036
| | - Miduturu Srinivas
- the Department of Biological Sciences, SUNY College of Optometry, New York, New York 10036
| | - Vytas K Verselis
- From the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461,
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9
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Lv T, Gong HQ, Liang PJ. Caffeine-induced Ca2+ oscillations in type I horizontal cells of the carp retina and the contribution of the store-operated Ca2+ entry pathway. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100095. [PMID: 24918937 PMCID: PMC4053414 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms of release, depletion, and refilling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ were investigated in type I horizontal cells of the carp retina using a fluo-3-based Ca2+ imaging technique. Exogenous application of caffeine, a ryanodine receptor agonist, induced oscillatory intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) responses in a duration- and concentration-dependent manner. In Ca2+-free Ringer’s solution, [Ca2+]i transients could also be induced by a brief caffeine application, whereas subsequent caffeine application induced no [Ca2+]i increase, which implied that extracellular Ca2+ was required for ER refilling, confirming the necessity of a Ca2+ influx pathway for ER refilling. Depletion of ER Ca2+ by thapsigargin triggered a Ca2+ influx which could be blocked by the store-operated channel inhibitor 2-APB, which proved the existence of the store-operated Ca2+ entry pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that after being depleted by caffeine, the ER was replenished by Ca2+ influx via store-operated channels. These results reveal the fine modulation of ER Ca2+ signaling, and the activation of the store-operated Ca2+ entry pathway guarantees the replenishment of the ER so that the cell can be ready for response to the subsequent stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lv
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai-Qing Gong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei-Ji Liang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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10
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Harris AL, Contreras JE. Motifs in the permeation pathway of connexin channels mediate voltage and Ca (2+) sensing. Front Physiol 2014; 5:113. [PMID: 24744733 PMCID: PMC3978323 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Connexin channels mediate electrical coupling, intercellular molecular signaling, and extracellular release of signaling molecules. Connexin proteins assemble intracellularly as hexamers to form plasma membrane hemichannels. The docking of two hemichannels in apposed cells forms a gap junction channel that allows direct electrical and selective cytoplasmic communication between adjacent cells. Hemichannels and junctional channels are gated by voltage, but extracellular Ca (2+) also gates unpaired plasma membrane hemichannels. Unlike other ion channels, connexin channels do not contain discrete voltage- or Ca (2+)-sensing modules linked to a separate pore-forming module. All studies to date indicate that voltage and Ca (2+) sensing are predominantly mediated by motifs that lie within or are exposed to the pore lumen. The sensors appear to be integral components of the gates, imposing an obligatory structural linkage between sensing and gating not commonly present in other ion channels, in which the sensors are semi-independent domains distinct from the pore. Because of this, the structural and electrostatic features that define connexin channel gating also define pore permeability properties, and vice versa; analysis/mutagenesis of gating and of permeability properties are linked. This offers unique challenges and opportunities for elucidating mechanisms of ligand and voltage-driven gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L Harris
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jorge E Contreras
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University Newark, NJ, USA
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11
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Sáez JC, Leybaert L. Hunting for connexin hemichannels. FEBS Lett 2014; 588:1205-11. [PMID: 24631534 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2014.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 03/01/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Connexin hemichannels (connexons) are building blocks of gap junctions but also function as free unapposed channels, which has become an active field of research. Defining functions of hemichannels and their involvement in any biological event requires ruling out possible participation of other channels that share biophysical and regulatory properties, for example pannexins, CALHM1 and P2X receptors. The lack of specific inhibitors for these channels has become an obstacle in elucidating the role of connexin hemichannels. Several experimental approaches are now available to identify hemichannels at the cell surface and to characterize their electrophysiological, permeability and regulatory properties. The use of connexin knockout/knockdown, and the development of peptides that target intracellular connexin domains and specific antibodies directed to extracellular domains have helped to dissect the role of hemichannels in endogenously expressing systems. Moreover, studies of connexin mutants in exogenous expression systems have provided convincing evidence on hemichannels in the pathogenesis of several human genetic diseases. We here present a brief overview of connexin hemichannels as functional channels and itemize a list of aspects to consider when concluding on their involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Sáez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago and Instituto Milenio, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
| | - Luc Leybaert
- Physiology Group, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 (Block B - Rm 031), 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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12
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Ugarte M, Osborne NN. Recent advances in the understanding of the role of zinc in ocular tissues. Metallomics 2014; 6:189-200. [DOI: 10.1039/c3mt00291h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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13
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Emran F, Dowling JE. Circadian Rhythms and Vision in Zebrafish. THE RETINA AND CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS 2014:171-193. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-9613-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
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14
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Nielsen MS, Axelsen LN, Sorgen PL, Verma V, Delmar M, Holstein-Rathlou NH. Gap junctions. Compr Physiol 2013; 2:1981-2035. [PMID: 23723031 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c110051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Gap junctions are essential to the function of multicellular animals, which require a high degree of coordination between cells. In vertebrates, gap junctions comprise connexins and currently 21 connexins are known in humans. The functions of gap junctions are highly diverse and include exchange of metabolites and electrical signals between cells, as well as functions, which are apparently unrelated to intercellular communication. Given the diversity of gap junction physiology, regulation of gap junction activity is complex. The structure of the various connexins is known to some extent; and structural rearrangements and intramolecular interactions are important for regulation of channel function. Intercellular coupling is further regulated by the number and activity of channels present in gap junctional plaques. The number of connexins in cell-cell channels is regulated by controlling transcription, translation, trafficking, and degradation; and all of these processes are under strict control. Once in the membrane, channel activity is determined by the conductive properties of the connexin involved, which can be regulated by voltage and chemical gating, as well as a large number of posttranslational modifications. The aim of the present article is to review our current knowledge on the structure, regulation, function, and pharmacology of gap junctions. This will be supported by examples of how different connexins and their regulation act in concert to achieve appropriate physiological control, and how disturbances of connexin function can lead to disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Schak Nielsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and The Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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15
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Rutter GA, Hodson DJ. Minireview: intraislet regulation of insulin secretion in humans. Mol Endocrinol 2013; 27:1984-95. [PMID: 24243488 PMCID: PMC5426601 DOI: 10.1210/me.2013-1278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The higher organization of β-cells into spheroid structures termed islets of Langerhans is critical for the proper regulation of insulin secretion. Thus, rodent β-cells form a functional syncytium that integrates and propagates information encoded by secretagogues, producing a "gain-of-function" in hormone release through the generation of coordinated cell-cell activity. By contrast, human islets possess divergent topology, and this may have repercussions for the cell-cell communication pathways that mediate the population dynamics underlying the intraislet regulation of insulin secretion. This is pertinent for type 2 diabetes mellitus pathogenesis, and its study in rodent models, because environmental and genetic factors may converge on these processes in a species-specific manner to precipitate the defective insulin secretion associated with glucose intolerance. The aim of the present minireview is therefore to discuss the structural and functional underpinnings that influence insulin secretion from human islets, and the possibility that dyscoordination between individual β-cells may play an important role in some forms of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy A Rutter
- Section Cell Biology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. ; or Professor Guy A. Rutter, Section of Cell Biology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. E-mail:
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16
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Ugarte M, Osborne NN, Brown LA, Bishop PN. Iron, zinc, and copper in retinal physiology and disease. Surv Ophthalmol 2013; 58:585-609. [DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2012.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 12/09/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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17
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Rodríguez-Sinovas A, Sánchez JA, Fernandez-Sanz C, Ruiz-Meana M, Garcia-Dorado D. Connexin and pannexin as modulators of myocardial injury. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2011; 1818:1962-70. [PMID: 21839721 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Revised: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular organisms have developed a variety of mechanisms that allow communication between their cells. Whereas some of these systems, as neurotransmission or hormones, make possible communication between remote areas, direct cell-to-cell communication through specific membrane channels keep in contact neighboring cells. Direct communication between the cytoplasm of adjacent cells is achieved in vertebrates by membrane channels formed by connexins. However, in addition to allowing exchange of ions and small metabolites between the cytoplasms of adjacent cells, connexin channels also communicate the cytosol with the extracellular space, thus enabling a completely different communication system, involving activation of extracellular receptors. Recently, the demonstration of connexin at the inner mitochondrial membrane of cardiomyocytes, probably forming hemichannels, has enlarged the list of actions of connexins. Some of these mechanisms are also shared by a different family of proteins, termed pannexins. Importantly, these systems allow not only communication between healthy cells, but also play an important role during different types of injury. The aim of this review is to discuss the role played by both connexin hemichannels and pannexin channels in cell communication and injury. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Communicating junctions, composition, structure and characteristics.
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Skeberdis VA, Rimkute L, Skeberdyte A, Paulauskas N, Bukauskas FF. pH-dependent modulation of connexin-based gap junctional uncouplers. J Physiol 2011; 589:3495-506. [PMID: 21606109 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.209072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Gap junction (GJ) channels formed from connexin (Cx) proteins provide a direct pathway for electrical and metabolic cell–cell communication exhibiting high sensitivity to intracellular pH (pH(i)). We examined pH(i)-dependent modulation of junctional conductance (g(j)) of GJs formed of Cx26, mCx30.2, Cx36, Cx40, Cx43, Cx45, Cx46, Cx47 and Cx50 by reagents representing several distinct groups of uncouplers, such as long carbon chain alkanols (LCCAs), arachidonic acid, carbenoxolone, isoflurane, flufenamic acid and mefloquine. We demonstrate that alkalization by NH4Cl to pH ∼8 increased g(j) in cells expressing mCx30.2 and Cx45, yet did not affect g(j) of Cx26, Cx40, Cx46, Cx47 and Cx50 and decreased it in Cx43 and Cx36 GJs. Unexpectedly, cells expressing Cx45, but not other Cxs, exhibited full coupling recovery after alkalization with NH4Cl under the continuous presence of LCCAs, isoflurane and mefloquine. There was no coupling recovery by alkalization in the presence of arachidonic acid, carbenoxolone and flufenamic acid. In cells expressing Cx45, IC50 for octanol was 0.1, 0.25 and 2.68 mm at pH(i) values of 6.9, 7.2 and 8.1, respectively. Histidine modification of Cx45 protein by N-bromosuccinimide reduced the coupling-promoting effect of NH4Cl as well as the uncoupling effect of octanol. This suggests that LCCAs and some other uncouplers may act through the formation of hydrogen bonds with the as-of-yet unidentified histidine/s of the Cx45 GJ channel protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vytenis A Skeberdis
- Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Institute of Cardiology, 17 Sukilėliųu Avenue, Kaunas 50009, Lithuania
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Vinken M, Ceelen L, Vanhaecke T, Rogiers V. Inhibition of Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication by Toxic Metals. Chem Res Toxicol 2010; 23:1862-7. [DOI: 10.1021/tx100276f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Vinken
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Liesbeth Ceelen
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tamara Vanhaecke
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vera Rogiers
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium
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Cell membrane permeabilization via connexin hemichannels in living and dying cells. Exp Cell Res 2010; 316:2377-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2010.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2010] [Revised: 05/20/2010] [Accepted: 05/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Giaume C, Theis M. Pharmacological and genetic approaches to study connexin-mediated channels in glial cells of the central nervous system. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 63:160-76. [PMID: 19963007 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2009.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2009] [Revised: 11/18/2009] [Accepted: 11/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This review gives an overview of connexin expression in glial cells of the central nervous system, the different modes of connexin action, including gap junctional channels and hemichannels, as well as the available methodologies to measure their activity. We summarize the strengths and limitations of current pharmacological and genetic approaches to interfere with connexin channel functions. We outline new avenues not only to study specific mechanisms by which connexins exert these functions but also to selectively investigate well-defined coupling compartments among glial networks.
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D'hondt C, Ponsaerts R, De Smedt H, Bultynck G, Himpens B. Pannexins, distant relatives of the connexin family with specific cellular functions? Bioessays 2009; 31:953-74. [PMID: 19644918 DOI: 10.1002/bies.200800236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Intercellular communication (IC) is mediated by gap junctions (GJs) and hemichannels, which consist of proteins. This has been particularly well documented for the connexin (Cx) family. Initially, Cxs were thought to be the only proteins capable of GJ formation in vertebrates. About 10 years ago, however, a new GJ-forming protein family related to invertebrate innexins (Inxs) was discovered in vertebrates, and named the pannexin (Panx) family. Panxs, which are structurally similar to Cxs, but evolutionarily distinct, have been shown to be co-expressed with Cxs in vertebrates. Both protein families show distinct properties and have their own particular function. Identification of the mechanisms that control Panx channel gating is a major challenge for future work. In this review, we focus on the specific properties and role of Panxs in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catheleyne D'hondt
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Signalling, KULeuven, Campus Gasthuisberg O/N, Leuven, Belgium
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Effects of zinc ex vivo and intracellular zinc chelator in vivo on taurine uptake in goldfish retina. Amino Acids 2009; 38:1429-37. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-009-0357-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2009] [Accepted: 09/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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