Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
2011-4-27
pubmed:abstractText
Gap junction channels, which are made of connexins, are critical for intercellular communication, a function that may be disrupted in a variety of diseases. We studied the consequences of two cataract-associated mutations at adjacent positions at the first extracellular boundary in human connexin50 (Cx50), W45S and G46V. Both of these mutants formed gap junctional plaques when they were expressed in HeLa cells, suggesting that they trafficked to the plasma membrane properly. However, their functional properties differed. Dual two-microelectrode voltage-clamp studies showed that W45S did not form functional intercellular channels in paired Xenopus oocytes or hemichannel currents in single oocytes. When W45S was coexpressed with wild-type Cx50, the mutant acted as a dominant negative inhibitor of wild-type function. In contrast, G46V formed both functional gap junctional channels and hemichannels. G46V exhibited greatly enhanced currents compared with wild-type Cx50 in the presence of physiological calcium concentrations. This increase in hemichannel activity persisted when G46V was coexpressed with wild-type lens connexins, consistent with a dominant gain of hemichannel function for G46V. These data suggest that although these two mutations are in adjacent amino acids, they have very different effects on connexin function and cause disease by different mechanisms: W45S inhibits gap junctional channel function; G46V reduces cell viability by forming open hemichannels.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
1522-1563
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
300
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
C1055-64
pubmed:dateRevised
2011-10-12
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2011
pubmed:articleTitle
Different consequences of cataract-associated mutations at adjacent positions in the first extracellular boundary of connexin50.
pubmed:affiliation
Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural