title: Gap junction-mediated antigen transport in immune responses.
abstract: Communication between cells is a crucial part of the immune response. The importance of cytokines and immunological synapses for this purpose has long been recognized. Connexin-based gap junctions that allow exchange of molecules between adjacent cells also seem to have an important role. Recent work suggests that gap junction-mediated antigen transport might be a mechanism of immune-response regulation. Here, we discuss this idea in more detail and suggest possible ways in which this mechanism might have both positive and negative impacts during an immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. ahandel@emory.edu
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Handel
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.forename: Sergei S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pilyugin
authors.forename: Rustom
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002450:Cell Communication; D017630:Connexins / Q000502:physiology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D017630:Connexins; D000939:Epitopes; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I