Wang Hung-Li, Chang Wen-Teng, Yeh Tu-Hsueh, Wu Tony, Chen Mei-Shin, Wu Ching-Yi
Department of Physiology, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, ROC.
Neurobiol Dis. 2004 Mar;15(2):361-70. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2003.11.005.
To investigate the pathogenic role of connexin-32 (Cx32) mutation in X-linked dominant Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX), dual whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings and tracer coupling were performed to investigate functional properties of wild-type and 22 CMTX mutant Cx32 proteins expressed in N2A cells. Ten mutant Cx32 proteins either formed defective junctional channels (Y65C, V95M, R107W, L156R, R164W and G199R) or failed to form gap junctions (G12S, S182T, E208K and Y211stop). Except (G12S) and (E208K) mutants, other mutant Cx32 proteins were localized in the cell membrane despite their impaired ability to form functional gap junctions. Twelve CMTX mutations (V13L, R15Q, R22Q, I30N, V35M, V63I, R75Q, Q80R, W133R, P158A, P172S and N205S) did not affect the ability of Cx32 to form homotypic gap junctions in N2A cells. Our results indicate that 10 of 22 CMTX Cx32 mutations studied in the present investigation could lead to the assembly of defective Cx32 gap junctions, which in turn may result in peripheral neuropathy. However, further studies are required to elucidate the exact mechanism by which CMTX mutant Cx32 proteins, which retain the ability to form homotypic junctional channels, damage Schwann cells and cause demyelinating neuropathy.
为了研究连接蛋白32(Cx32)突变在X连锁显性遗传性腓骨肌萎缩症(CMTX)中的致病作用,进行了双细胞全细胞膜片钳记录和示踪偶联实验,以研究在N2A细胞中表达的野生型和22种CMTX突变型Cx32蛋白的功能特性。10种突变型Cx32蛋白要么形成有缺陷的连接通道(Y65C、V95M、R107W、L156R、R164W和G199R),要么无法形成缝隙连接(G12S、S182T、E208K和Y211stop)。除了(G12S)和(E20P)突变体,其他突变型Cx32蛋白尽管形成功能性缝隙连接的能力受损,但仍定位于细胞膜。12种CMTX突变(V13L、R15Q、R22Q、I30N、V35M、V63I、R75Q、Q80R、W133R、P158A、P172S和N205S)不影响Cx32在N2A细胞中形成同型缝隙连接的能力。我们的结果表明,在本研究中检测的22种CMTX Cx32突变中有10种可能导致有缺陷的Cx32缝隙连接的组装,进而可能导致周围神经病变。然而,需要进一步研究以阐明保留形成同型连接通道能力的CMTX突变型Cx32蛋白损伤施万细胞并导致脱髓鞘性神经病变的确切机制。