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PMID: 1696265 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Molecular characterization and functional expression of the human cardiac gap junction channel.

The Journal of cell biology ·Vol. 111 ·No. 2 ·1990-08-00 ·Pages 589-98

Fishman GI, Spray DC, Leinwand LA

Abstract

Gap junctions permit the passage of ions and chemical mediators from cell to cell. To identify the molecular genetic basis for this coupling in the human heart, we have isolated clones from a human fetal cardiac cDNA library which encode the full-length human cardiac gap junction (HCGJ) mRNA. The predicted amino acid sequence is homologous to the rat cardiac gap junction protein, connexin43 (Beyer, E. D., D. Paul, and D. A. Goodenough. 1987. J. Cell Biol. 105:2621-2629), differing by 9 of 382 amino acids. HCGJ mRNA is detected as early as fetal week 15 and persists in adult human cardiac samples. Genomic DNA analysis suggests the presence of two highly homologous HCGJ loci, only one of which is functional. Stable transfection of the HCGJ cDNA into SKHep1 cells, a human hepatoma line which is communication deficient, leads to the formation of functional channels. Junctional conductance in pairs of transfectants containing 10 copies of the HCGJ sequence is high (approximately 20 nS). Single channel currents are detectable in this expression system and correspond to conductances of approximately 60 pS. These first measurements of the HCGJ channel are similar to the junctional conductance recorded between pairs of rat or guinea pig cardiocytes.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Animals Base Sequence Cloning, Molecular Connexins DNA/genetics,isolation & purification Fetus Heart/physiology Humans Intercellular Junctions/physiology,ultrastructure Membrane Potentials Membrane Proteins/genetics,physiology Molecular Sequence Data Myocardium/ultrastructure Oligonucleotide Probes Polymerase Chain Reaction RNA/genetics,isolation & purification RNA, Messenger/genetics Rats Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Chemicals
Connexins Membrane Proteins Oligonucleotide Probes RNA, Messenger RNA DNA
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Fishman G I
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461.
Spray D C
Leinwand L A
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Article Info
Journal
The Journal of cell biology
Abbr.
J Cell Biol
ISSN
0021-9525
DOI
10.1083/jcb.111.2.589
Published
1990-08-00
Pages
589-98
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0375356
PMCID
PMC2116184
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM29090 · United States
NHLBI NIH HHS · HL07071 · United States
NHLBI NIH HHS · P01HL137412 · United States
Databases
GENBANK
X52947
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1083/jcb.111.2.589 PMC Full Text View journal details
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