title: Protein kinase C-dependent regulation of connexin43 gap junctions and hemichannels.
abstract: Connexin43 (Cx43) generates intercellular gap junction channels involved in, among others, cardiac and brain function. Gap junctions are formed by the docking of two hemichannels from neighbouring cells. Undocked Cx43 hemichannels can upon different stimuli open towards the extracellular matrix and allow transport of molecules such as fluorescent dyes and ATP. A range of phosphorylated amino acids have been detected in the C-terminus of Cx43 and their physiological role has been intensively studied both in the gap junctional form of Cx43 and in its hemichannel configuration. We present the current knowledge of protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent regulation of Cx43 and discuss the divergent results.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jette Skov
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Alstrom
authors.affiliation: †Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia and Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Line Waring
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Stroemlund
authors.affiliation: †Danish National Research Foundation Centre for Cardiac Arrhythmia and Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten Schak
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: *Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nanna
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: MacAulay
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000235:genetics; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D011493:Protein Kinase C