title: Special delivery: dynamic targeting via cortical capture of microtubules.
abstract: Gap junction formation depends on the proper transport of connexin hemichannels to sites of cell-cell contact. Recently in Cell, Shaw et al. implicate microtubule tip tracking proteins in the trafficking of connexin43 to adherens junctions (Shaw et al., 2007). This finding suggests a mechanism for targeted delivery of membrane proteins by microtubule capture at the cortex.
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, D400 Richards Building, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Erika L F
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Holzbaur
mesh_terms: D022005:Adherens Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008870:Microtubules / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D017630:Connexins; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins