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Full-Text Articles in Cell and Developmental Biology

The Role Of Connexin And Pannexin Large-Pore Channels In Hearing, Julia Abitbol Nov 2019

The Role Of Connexin And Pannexin Large-Pore Channels In Hearing, Julia Abitbol

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Connexin and pannexin large-pore channels allow the regulated passage of small molecules at sites of cell-cell contacts, and from the cytosol to the extracellular milieu, respectively. Since it has been known for many years that Cx26 and Cx30 gap junction proteins are crucial in hearing we propose that Cx43 might also be important in hearing. Here we used two different genetically modified mouse lines that contain systemic Cx43 gene mutations that reduces gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) to examine whether Cx43 is also important for proper hearing function. Furthermore, since pannexins have also been postulated to be involved in auditory …


The Expression Of Connexin-43 By Cd11c+ Dendritic Cells Is Required To Maintain Cd4+ Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Population In Peripheral Lymphoid Organs, Caroline Titus Miller Jul 2019

The Expression Of Connexin-43 By Cd11c+ Dendritic Cells Is Required To Maintain Cd4+ Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cell Population In Peripheral Lymphoid Organs, Caroline Titus Miller

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (TR) are an immunosuppressive subset of CD4+ T cells that maintain homeostasis of the immune system. They are sustained by the interaction between the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present on antigen presenting dendritic cells and the T Cell Receptor (TCR) expressed on TR cells that is specific for the MHC loaded with an antigenic peptide. Here, we show that in addition to MHC/TCR interaction, Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression by dendritic cells is required to maintain the TR cell population. CD11c+ dendritic cells represent a major subset of antigen presenting cells. …


Ablation Of Both Cx40 And Panx1 Results In Similar Cardiovascular Phenotypes Exhibited In Cx40 Knockout Mice, Nicole M. Novielli-Kuntz, Meghan L. Jelen, Kevin Barr, Leon J. Delalio, Qingping Feng, Brant E. Isakson, Robert Gros, Dale Laird Feb 2019

Ablation Of Both Cx40 And Panx1 Results In Similar Cardiovascular Phenotypes Exhibited In Cx40 Knockout Mice, Nicole M. Novielli-Kuntz, Meghan L. Jelen, Kevin Barr, Leon J. Delalio, Qingping Feng, Brant E. Isakson, Robert Gros, Dale Laird

Anatomy and Cell Biology Publications

Connexins (Cxs) and pannexins (Panxs) are highly regulated large-pore channel-forming proteins that participate in cellular communication via small molecular exchange with the extracellular microenvironment, or in the case of connexins, directly between cells. Given the putative functional overlap between single membrane-spanning connexin hemichannels and Panx channels, and cardiovascular system prevalence, we generated the first Cx40(-/-)Panx1(-/-) mouse with the anticipation that this genetic modification would lead to a severe cardiovascular phenotype. Mice null for both Cx40 and Panx1 produced litter sizes and adult growth progression similar to wild-type (WT), Cx40(-/-) and Panx1(-/-) mice. Akin to Cx40(-/-) mice, Cx40(-/-) Panx1(-/-) mice exhibited …