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Gap junctions are essential channels of communication between cells including neurons in the central nervous system. These channels coordinate cell metabolic and electrical functions including such crucial ones for maintaining homeostasis as cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and apoptosis. They create narrow passageways that allow rapid exchange of small molecules, ions, and secondary messengers between neighboring cells including the retina and optic nerve. Disruption in normal functioning of gap junctions may result in various neurodegenerative disorders. A comprehensive understanding of gap junction composition, function, and regulation is the key in determining novel approaches to neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Here, we review the structure and the role of gap junctions in the retina and discuss the life cycle of connexins and their involvement in retinal neurodegenerations.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ccs3.70036 | DOI Listing |
Phys Rev Lett
August 2025
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai 200240, China.
While Andreev bound states (ABSs) have been realized in engineered superconducting junctions, their direct observation in normal metal-superconductor heterostructures-enabled by quantum confinement-remains experimentally elusive. Here, we report the detection of ABSs in ultrathin metallic islands (Bi, Ag, and SnTe) grown on the s-wave superconductor NbN. Using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we clearly reveal in-gap ABSs with energies symmetric about the Fermi level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngiogenesis
September 2025
Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
Objective: Adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) are promising cell sources for damaged tissue regeneration. The efficacy of therapeutic angiogenesis with ADRC implantation in patients with critical limb ischemia has been demonstrated in clinical studies. There are several possible mechanisms in this process such as cytokines and microRNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Sci
September 2025
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Institute of Modern Optics and Centre of Single-Molecule Science, Nankai University Tianjin 300350 China
The keto-enol tautomerism, involving a reversible isomerization of the molecule, plays a critical role in organic synthesis, biological activity, and molecular-scale charge transport. It is therefore essential to manipulate the process of keto-enol tautomerism. Unlike typical ketones, β-diketones exist dominantly in the enol form and it is a great challenge to realize enol-keto tautomerism due to the formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the enol form.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cardiovasc Med
August 2025
Department of Ultrasonic Medicine, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Gap junctions (GJs) are critical structures for cardiac electrical signal conduction and synchronized contraction. Their fundamental components are transmembrane proteins from the connexin (Cx) family, which assemble into hexameric channels to form intercellular ion-permeable pathways, ensuring efficient electrical transmission and coordinated contraction between cardiac cells. Connexin 43 (Cx43), the most abundant connexin in the heart, serves as the primary constituent of ventricular gap junctions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Metab
September 2025
Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. Electronic address:
Background And Objective: Connexin43 (Cx43), encoded by Gja1, forms gap junctions between adjacent cells. In adipose tissue, it is upregulated during adipose beiging while downregulated by high-fat-diet (HFD) feeding. Adipocyte-specific Gja1 overexpression enhances adipose tissue beiging in response to mild cold stress of room temperature.
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