Coupled heterocellular arrays in the brain.
Gap junctions are transcellular pathways that enable a dynamic metabolic coupling and a selective exchange of biological signaling mediators. Throughout the course of the brain development these intercellular channels are assembled into regionally and temporally defined patterns. The present review summarizes the possibilities of heterocellular gap junctional pairing in the brain parenchyma, involving glial cells, neurons and neural precursors as well as it highlights on the meaningfulness of these coupled arrays to the concept of brain functional compartments.
Fróes
M M
MM
Laboratório de Neuroanatomia Celular, Departamento de Anatomia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21949-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. mmfroes@anato.ufrj.br
Menezes
J R L
JR
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology