Large Pore Connexin Hemichannels: Channels or Transporters?

Dr. Jorge E. Contreras is a professor of Physiology and Membrane Biology at the University of California, Davis.

Connexin hemichannels were identified as the first members of the eukaryotic large-pore channel family that mediate permeation of both atomic ions and small molecules between the intracellular and extracellular environments. The conventional view is that their pore is a large passive conduit through which both ions and molecules diffuse in a similar manner. In stark contrast to this notion, we found that ionic and molecule permeation mechanisms in connexin hemichannels are uncoupled and differentially regulated. Our findings redefine our understanding of connexin hemichannel function, indicating roles beyond a simple conduction pathway and highlighting implications for health and disease. Our work underscores the need to reassess the mechanisms of molecule and ion flux in other large-pore channels.

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Hosted by Dr. Marcel Goldschen-Ohm

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