Cx40.8, a Cx43-like protein, forms gap junction channels inefficiently and may require Cx43 for its association at the plasma membrane

Gerhart, Sarah V.; Jefferis, Rebecca; Iovine, M. Kathryn

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2009.09.054

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Volume 583, Issue 21 , Pages 3419-3424, 3 November 2009

Cx40.8, a Cx43-like protein, forms gap junction channels inefficiently and may require Cx43 for its association at the plasma membrane

Edited by Lukas Huber

Lehigh University, Department of Biological Sciences, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca B-217, Bethlehem, PA 18015, United States

Received 12 August 2009; received in revised form 22 September 2009; accepted 26 September 2009. published online 05 October 2009.

Abstract

In addition to having a Cx43 ortholog, the zebrafish genome also contains a Cx43-like gene, Cx40.8. Here, we investigate the expression of cx40.8 in zebrafish fins and the function of Cx40.8 in HeLa cells. We find that cx40.8 is present in the same population of dividing cells as cx43. Unlike Cx43, dye coupling assays suggest that Cx40.8 only inefficiently forms functional gap junction channels. However, co-transfection reveals that Cx40.8 can co-localize with Cx43 in gap junction plaques, and that the resulting plaques contain functional gap junction channels. Together, these data suggest the possibility that Cx40.8 may functionally interact with Cx43 to regulate cell proliferation in vivo.