Structure of the ductin channel

被引:14
作者
Finbow, ME [1 ]
Pitts, JD [1 ]
机构
[1] Beatson Inst Canc Res, CRC, Beatson Labs, Glasgow G61 1BD, Lanark, Scotland
关键词
gap junctions; membrane channels; ductin; vacuolar H+ ATPase;
D O I
10.1023/A:1020205231507
中图分类号
Q5 [生物化学]; Q7 [分子生物学];
学科分类号
071010 ; 081704 ;
摘要
Gap junctions appear to be essential components of metazoan animals providing a means of direct means of communication between neighboring cells. They are sieve-like structures which allow cell-cell movement of cytosolic solutes below 1000 MW. The major role of gap junctions would appear to be homeostatic giving rise to groups of cells which act as functional units. Ductin is the major core component of gap junctions and recent structural data shows it to be a four alpha-helical bundle which fits particularly well into a low resolution model of the gap junction channel. Ductin is also the main membrane component of the vacuolar H+-ATPase that is found in all eukaryotes and it seems likely that the gap junction channel first evolved as a housing for the rotating spindle of these proton pumps. Because ductin protrudes little from the membrane, other proteins are required to bring cell surfaces close enough together to form gap junctions. Such proteins may include connexins, a large family of proteins found in vertebrates.
引用
收藏
页码:287 / 297
页数:11
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