Dagli Maria Lúcia Zaidan, Hernandez-Blazquez Francisco Javier
Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Avenida Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil.
J Membr Biol. 2007 Aug;218(1-3):79-91. doi: 10.1007/s00232-007-9045-9. Epub 2007 Jul 25.
Cell proliferation is an important process for reproduction, growth and renewal of living cells and occurs in several situations during life. Cell proliferation is present in all the steps of carcinogenesis, initiation, promotion and progression. Gap junctions are the only specialization of cell membranes that allows communication between adjacent cells. They are known to contribute to tissue homeostasis and are composed of transmembrane proteins called "connexins." These junctions are also known to be involved in cell proliferation control. The roles of gap junctions and connexins in cell proliferation are complex and still under investigation. Since pioneer studies by Loewenstein, it is known that neoplastic cells lack communicating junctions. They do not communicate with their neighbors or with non-neoplastic cells from the surrounding area. There are many studies and review articles dedicated to neoplastic tissues. The aim of this review is to present evidence on the roles of gap junctions and connexins in non-neoplastic processes in which cell proliferation is involved.
细胞增殖是活细胞繁殖、生长和更新的重要过程，在生命过程中的多种情况下都会发生。细胞增殖存在于致癌作用的所有阶段，即起始、促进和进展阶段。间隙连接是细胞膜唯一允许相邻细胞间通讯的特化结构。已知其有助于组织稳态，由称为“连接蛋白”的跨膜蛋白组成。这些连接也参与细胞增殖控制。间隙连接和连接蛋白在细胞增殖中的作用复杂，仍在研究中。自Loewenstein的开创性研究以来，已知肿瘤细胞缺乏通讯连接。它们不与相邻细胞或周围区域的非肿瘤细胞通讯。有许多关于肿瘤组织的研究和综述文章。本综述的目的是提供间隙连接和连接蛋白在涉及细胞增殖的非肿瘤过程中作用的证据。
