[Intercellular interactions through gap junctions in embryonic stem cells].

The article deals with the last research project of Levon Mikhailovich Chailakhyan devoted to the role of local intercellular interactions in maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells and in the processes of their spontaneous multitissue differentiation. For performing the project, Levon Mikhailovich organized in 2008 a group of researchers from the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Belozersky Research Institute of Physicochemical Biology of Lomonosov Moscow State University. In the last month of his life, Levon Mikhailovich wrote an article concerned with the first results of the work. At present the work on the project is being continued.