title: Intrinsic properties and regulation of Pannexin 1 channel.
abstract: Pannexin 1 (Panx1) channels are generally represented as non-selective, large-pore channels that release ATP. Emerging roles have been described for Panx1 in mediating purinergic signaling in the normal nervous, cardiovascular, and immune systems, where they may be activated by mechanical stress, ionotropic and metabotropic receptor signaling, and via proteolytic cleavage of the Panx1 C-terminus. Panx1 channels are widely expressed in various cell types, and it is now thought that targeting these channels therapeutically may be beneficial in a number of pathophysiological contexts, such as asthma, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and ischemic-induced seizures. Even as interest in Panx1 channels is burgeoning, some of their basic properties, mechanisms of modulation, and proposed functions remain controversial, with recent reports challenging some long-held views regarding Panx1 channels. In this brief review, we summarize some well-established features of Panx1 channels; we then address some current confounding issues surrounding Panx1 channels, especially with respect to intrinsic channel properties, in order to raise awareness of these unsettled issues for future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology; University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research; University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA USA; Center for Cell Clearance; University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA USA; Department of Microbiology; Immunology and Cancer Research; University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA USA.
authors.forename: Kodi S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ravichandran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology; University of Virginia; Charlottesville, VA USA.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bayliss
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D017630:Connexins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D058469:Receptors, Purinergic P2X / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492764:PANX1 protein, human; D058469:Receptors, Purinergic P2X; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate
keywords: ATP release; P2X receptor; Pannexin 1; ionic selectivity; unitary conductance