Description
Book SynopsisGap junction channels are a group of intercellular channels expressed in tissues and organs to synchronize many physiological processes. A gap junction channel is formed by the docking of two hemichannels, and each hemichannel is a hexamer of connexins. The field of gap junction channel and hemichannel research has recently exploded and became one of the most active areas of cell biology. Numerous novel approaches and techniques have been developed, but there is no single book dedicated to the unique techniques and protocols employed for the research on these large pore channels. This book fills the gap and focuses on protocols, approaches and reviews of gap junction channels and connexin hemichannels. It will be a useful reference for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers. Anyone with an interest in gap junction channels and hemichannels will need this summary of state-of-the-art techniques and protocols.
Table of ContentsGap junction channels. Bioinformatics analysis of connexin genes. Structural approaches on gap junction channels. Fluorescent label of connexins. Functional study of gap junction channel gating. Quantitative measurement of dye transfer. Permeability. Pharmacology of gap junction channels. Gap junction mimetic piptides. Gap junction hemichannels. Dye uptake and ATP release. Functional study of hemichannel current. Connexin purification and reconstitution in lipid bilayers. Hemichannel function in the ovary. Pannexin channels. Functional study pannexin channels. Pannexin channels in vasculature. Pharmacology of pannexin channels. Dye uptake and ATP release.
