Morel Sandrine, Burnier Laurent, Kwak Brenda R
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Semin Immunopathol. 2009 Jun;31(1):49-61. doi: 10.1007/s00281-009-0147-6. Epub 2009 Apr 30.
Connexins are members of a large family of transmembrane proteins that form hemichannels or gap junctions. These channels allow the exchange of ions and small metabolites between the cytosol and extracellular space or between neighboring cells. Connexins are important in vascular physiology; they support radial and longitudinal cell-to-cell communication in the vascular wall. Four connexins are expressed in the vascular wall: Cx37, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45. Their expression is not uniform in all blood vessels and varies with vascular territory and species. Significant changes in the expression pattern of vascular connexins have been described during the development of atherosclerosis, a progressive inflammatory disease. In this review, we provide an overview of (1) the tools used to study the involvement of connexins in atherosclerosis, (2) the participation of connexins in atherogenesis, (3) the increasing interest of a polymorphism in the human connexin37 gene as marker of cardiovascular disease, and (4) the possible therapeutic implications of connexins.
连接蛋白是一大类跨膜蛋白家族的成员，它们形成半通道或间隙连接。这些通道允许离子和小代谢物在胞质溶胶与细胞外空间之间或相邻细胞之间交换。连接蛋白在血管生理学中很重要；它们支持血管壁中的径向和纵向细胞间通讯。血管壁中表达四种连接蛋白：Cx37、Cx40、Cx43和Cx45。它们在所有血管中的表达并不均匀，并且随血管区域和物种而变化。在动脉粥样硬化（一种进行性炎症性疾病）的发展过程中，已描述了血管连接蛋白表达模式的显著变化。在本综述中，我们概述了：（1）用于研究连接蛋白参与动脉粥样硬化的工具；（2）连接蛋白在动脉粥样硬化发生中的参与情况；（3）人类连接蛋白37基因多态性作为心血管疾病标志物的兴趣日益增加；（4）连接蛋白可能的治疗意义。
