Four-State Model for Simulating Kinetic and Steady-State Voltage-Dependent Gating of Gap Junctions.

ABSTRACT: Gap junction (GJ) channels, formed of connexin (Cx) proteins, provide a direct pathway for metabolic and electrical cell-to-cell communication. These specialized channels are not just passive conduits for the passage of ions and metabolites but have been shown to gate robustly in response to transjunctional voltage, V_j, the voltage difference between two coupled cells. Voltage gating of GJs could play a physiological role, particularly in excitable cells, which can generate large transients in membrane potential during the propagation of action potentials. We present a mathematical/computational model of GJ channel voltage gating to assess properties of GJ channels that takes into account contingent gating of two series hemichannels and the distribution of V_j across e

SUBMITTER: Snipas M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7642245 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature