title: Structure, Regulation and Function of Gap Junctions in Liver.
abstract: Gap junctions are a specialized group of cell-to-cell junctions that mediate direct intercellular communication between cells. They arise from the interaction of two hemichannels of adjacent cells, which in turn are composed of six connexin proteins. In liver, gap junctions are predominantly found in hepatocytes and play critical roles in virtually all phases of the hepatic life cycle, including cell growth, differentiation, liver-specific functionality and cell death. Liver gap junctions are directed through a broad variety of mechanisms ranging from epigenetic control of connexin expression to post-translational regulation of gap junction activity. This paper reviews established and novel aspects regarding the architecture, control and functional relevance of liver gap junctions.
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willebrords
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crespo Yanguas
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michaël
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Physiology Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Decrock
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Physiology Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Physiology Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leybaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tereza Cristina
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Veloso Alves Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaeschke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cogliati
authors.affiliation: Department of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinken
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins
keywords: connexin; gap junction; liver