Connexins pave the way for vascular communication.
Coordinated behavior within arterioles is necessary for large resistance changes to occur and is reflected as a conduction of dilations/constrictions along arterioles. These responses arise from locally initiated hyper- or depolarizations that propagate via transmembrane channels formed by connexins (gap junctions). Mounting evidence indicates that gap-junctional communication contributes to the control of vascular tone.
De Wit
Cor
C
Institut für Physiologie, Universität Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany.
D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D017630:Connexins / Q000502:physiology*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*
D017630:Connexins