CX31 ELISA Kits

Connexin is a component of gap junctions, which are composed of arrays of intercellular channels that provide a route for the diffusion of low molecular weight materials from cell to cell. Mutations in this gene may be associated with atrial fibrillation. The connexin gene family is diverse, with twenty-one identified members in the sequenced human genome. They usually weigh between 25 and 60 kDa, and have an average length of 380 amino acids. Connexins are commonly named according to their molecular weights, e.g. Cx26 is the connexin protein of 26 kDa. Each gap junction is composed of two hemichannels, or connexons, which consist of homo- or heterohexameric arrays of connexins, and the connexon in one plasma membrane docks end-to-end with a connexon in the membrane of a closely opposed cell. The hemichannel is made of six connexin subunits, each of which consist of four transmembrane segments.

Are structurally related transmembrane proteins that assemble to form vertebrate gap junctions. An entirely different family of proteins, the innexins, form gap junctions in invertebrates. Gap junctions are essential for many physiological processes, such as the coordinated depolarization of cardiac muscle, proper embryonic development, and the conducted response in microvasculature. Mutations in connexin-encoding genes can lead to functional and developmental abnormalities. Within the CNS, gap junctions provide electrical coupling between progenitor cells, neurons, and glial cells. Studies revealed that cell coupling is essential for visual signaling. In the retia, ambient light levels influence cell coupling provided by gap junction channels, adapting the visual function for various lighting conditions. Cell coupling is governed by several mechanisms, including connexin expression.