Connexin-46 Contained in Extracellular Vesicles Enhance Malignancy Features in Breast Cancer Cells.

ABSTRACT: Under normal conditions, almost all cell types communicate with their neighboring cells through gap junction channels (GJC), facilitating cellular and tissue homeostasis. A GJC is formed by the interaction of two hemichannels; each one of these hemichannels in turn is formed by six subunits of transmembrane proteins called connexins (Cx). For many years, it was believed that the loss of GJC-mediated intercellular communication was a hallmark in cancer development. However, nowadays this paradigm is changing. The connexin 46 (Cx46), which is almost exclusively expressed in the eye lens, is upregulated in human breast cancer, and is correlated with tumor growth in a Xenograft mouse model. On the other hand, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have an important role in long-distance communication un

SUBMITTER: Acuna RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7277863 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature