title: Study of gap junctions in human embryonic stem cells.
abstract: Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) has been described in different cell types including stem cells and has been involved in different biological events. GJIC is required for mouse embryonic stem cell maintenance and proliferation, and various studies suggest that functional GJIC is a common characteristic of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) maintained in different culture conditions. This chapter introduces methods to study gap junctions in hESC, from expression of gap junction proteins to functional study of GJIC in hESC proliferation, apoptosis, colony growth, and pluripotency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Raymond C B
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pébay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002450:Cell Communication; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017630:Connexins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018031:Connexin 43; D017630:Connexins; D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger