title: Pannexin1 is expressed by neurons and glia but does not form functional gap junctions.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6077, USA. yan.huang.penn@gmail.com
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Judith B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Grinspan
authors.forename: Charles K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: Steven S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C503631:Panx1 protein, mouse