Pannexin1 is expressed by neurons and glia but does not form functional gap junctions.
Pannexins are a newly described family of proteins that may form gap junctions. We made antisera against mouse pannexin1 (Panx1). HeLa cells expressing Panx1 have cell surface labeling, but not gap junction plaques, and do not transfer small fluorescent dyes or neurobiotin in a scrape-loading assay. Neuro2a cells expressing Panx1 are not electrophysiologically coupled. Intracellular Panx1-immunoreactivity, but not gap junction plaques, is seen in cultured oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and hippocampal neurons. Thus, at least in these mammalian cells lines, Panx1 does not form morphological or functional gap junctions, and it remains to be demonstrated that Panx1 forms gap junction-forming protein in the CNS.
Huang
Yan
Y
Department of Neurology, The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6077, USA. yan.huang.penn@gmail.com
Grinspan
Judith B
JB
Abrams
Charles K
CK
Scherer
Steven S
SS
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D019556:COS Cells; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
D017630:Connexins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C503631:Panx1 protein, mouse