Degradation of connexins and gap junctions.
Connexin proteins are short-lived within the cell, whether present in the secretory pathway or in gap junction plaques. Their levels can be modulated by their rate of degradation. Connexins, at different stages of assembly, are degraded through the proteasomal, endo-/lysosomal, and phago-/lysosomal pathways. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about connexin and gap junction degradation including the signals and protein-protein interactions that participate in their targeting for degradation.
Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, D-218, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA. Electronic address: mmf4@lehigh.edu.
Matthias M
MM
Falk
Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Iacocca Hall, D-218, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
Rachael M
RM
Kells
Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, 900 East 57th St., KCBD, Room 5150, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: vberthou@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu.
Viviana M
VM
Berthoud
D000818:Animals; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D059748:Proteolysis; D054875:Ubiquitination
D017630:Connexins; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
Autophagosome; Connexin; Gap junction; Lysosome; Proteasome; Ubiquitin