Connexin 43 Monoclonal Antibody (Connexin43 (1A)), eBioscience™, Invitrogen™

Description

• The Connexin43 MAb recognizes mouse Connexin 43
• Connexins are a family of integral membrane proteins that form gap junction channels, which function to facilitate direct cell-cell communication
• Gap junctions are comprised of two hemichannels, or connexons, which are made up of six connexin proteins
• Over 20 connexin proteins have been identified and each combine to form either homomeric or heteromeric channels with different functional properties
• Connexin 43 is expressed in many tissues, including the central nervous system, heart, and bone
• Connexin 43 is the most abundant connexin found in the myocardium and is also the primary connexin expressed in astrocytes
• Mutations in connexin 43 are associated with ocluodentodigital dysplasia, a rare developmental disorder characterized by craniofacial and limb abnormalities
• Connexin 43 may also be a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of malignant melanomas and mammary gland tumors
• The MAb Connexin43 also recognizes human and rat connexin 43
• Connexin 43 (Cx43) is a member of the gap junction protein family
• Connexins assemble as a hexamer and are transported to the plasma membrane to create a hemichannel that can associate with hemichannels on nearby cells to create cell-to-cell channels
• Clusters of these channels assemble to make gap junctions
• Gap junction communication is important in development and regulation of cell growth
• Phosphorylation of Cx43 is important in regulating assembly and function of gap junctions
• Ser368 of Cx43 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) after activation by phorbol esters, which decreases cell-to-cell communication
• Src can interact with and phosphorylate Cx43 to alter gap junction communication
• GFAP are membrane-spanning proteins that facilitate the transfer of ions and small molecules between cells
• According to sequence similarities at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, the gap junction proteins are divided into two categories, alpha and beta
• Connexin 43 is the major protein of gap junctions in the heart, and gap junctions are thought to have a crucial role in the synchronized contraction of the heart and in embryonic development
• Connexin 43 is also targeted by several protein kinases that regulate myocardial cell-cell coupling
• A related intron-less connexin 43 pseudogene, GJA1P, has been mapped to chromosome 5
• Mutations in the GFAP gene cause X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, an inherited peripheral neuropathy, oculodentodigital dysplasia and heart malformations
• Alternatively spliced transcript variants of GFAP have been found.