title: Hemichannel composition and electrical synaptic transmission: molecular diversity and its implications for electrical rectification.
abstract: Unapposed hemichannels (HCs) formed by hexamers of gap junction proteins are now known to be involved in various cellular processes under both physiological and pathological conditions. On the other hand, less is known regarding how differences in the molecular composition of HCs impact electrical synaptic transmission between neurons when they form intercellular heterotypic gap junctions (GJs). Here we review data indicating that molecular differences between apposed HCs at electrical synapses are generally associated with rectification of electrical transmission. Furthermore, this association has been observed at both innexin and connexin (Cx) based electrical synapses. We discuss the possible molecular mechanisms underlying electrical rectification, as well as the potential contribution of intracellular soluble factors to this phenomenon. We conclude that asymmetries in molecular composition and sensitivity to cellular factors of each contributing hemichannel can profoundly influence the transmission of electrical signals, endowing electrical synapses with more complex functional properties.
authors.affiliation: Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY, USA ; Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole Massachusetts, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Palacios-Prado
authors.affiliation: Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole Massachusetts, MA, USA ; Department of Neurobiology, University of Konstanz Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huetteroth
authors.affiliation: Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx, NY, USA ; Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole Massachusetts, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Alberto E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pereda
keywords: asymmetry; connexin; electrical synapse; gap junction; innexin; rectification