Intercellular Communication in Airway Epithelial Cell Regeneration: Potential Roles of Connexins and Pannexins.

ABSTRACT: Connexins and pannexins are transmembrane proteins that can form direct (gap junctions) or indirect (connexons, pannexons) intercellular communication channels. By propagating ions, metabolites, sugars, nucleotides, miRNAs, and/or second messengers, they participate in a variety of physiological functions, such as tissue homeostasis and host defense. There is solid evidence supporting a role for intercellular signaling in various pulmonary inflammatory diseases where alteration of connexin/pannexin channel functional expression occurs, thus leading to abnormal intercellular communication pathways and contributing to pathophysiological aspects, such as innate immune defense and remodeling. The integrity of the airway epithelium, which is the first line of defense against invading microbes,

SUBMITTER: Badaoui M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10671439 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature