Linked Life Data

9523149

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/9523149

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
1998-5-14
pubmed:abstractText
The powerful synchronous contractions of the uterus in labor depend on electrical coupling of myometrial smooth muscle cells by gap junctions. In humans and other mammals, gap junctions are scarce in the myometrium of the non-pregnant uterus, but become abundant at term and/or with the onset of labor. Previous work has shown that the gap-junctional protein (connexin) expressed by human myometrial smooth muscle cells is connexin43, the same connexin type that predominates in cardiac muscle. Here we show that two further gap junctional proteins, connexin40 and connexin45, are expressed by the myometrial smooth muscle cells of the human uterus at term. Transcripts encoding the human isoforms of these connexins were demonstrated by Northern blot analysis, and immunoconfocal microscopy enabled precise localization of the corresponding proteins to punctate contact points (i.e., gap junctions) between interacting smooth muscle cells. Double labeling demonstrated that, while some fluorescent spots comprise only connexin43, both connexin40 and connexin45 predominantly colocalize to connexin43-positive fluorescent spots. Triple labeling revealed that where all three connexin types were expressed, they frequently localized to the same gap junction spot. As gap-junctional channels composed of different connexin types have been demonstrated in vitro to have different functional properties, multiple connexin expression may contribute to modulation of gap junction function in human myometrial smooth muscle cells in vivo.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0171-9335
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
75
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1-8
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-5-26
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1998
pubmed:articleTitle
Identification of two further gap-junctional proteins, connexin40 and connexin45, in human myometrial smooth muscle cells at term.
pubmed:affiliation
Imperial College School of Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, London, UK.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't