Dipartimento di Anatomia, Istologia e Medicina Legale, Università di Firenze, Largo Brambilla 3 - Firenze, Italy.
J Biophotonics. 2013 Aug;6(8):612-21. doi: 10.1002/jbio.201200063. Epub 2012 Aug 29.
Cell-to-cell contacts are crucial for cell differentiation. The promyogenic cell surface protein, Cdo, functions as a component of multiprotein clusters to mediate cell adhesion signaling. Connexin 43, the main connexin forming gap junctions, also plays a key role in myogenesis. At least part of its effects is independent of the intercellular channel function, but the mechanisms underlying are unknown. Here, using multiple optical approaches, we provided the first evidence that Cx43 physically interacts with Cdo to form dynamic complexes during myoblast differentiation, offering clues for considering this interaction a structural basis of the channel-independent function of Cx43.
细胞间接触对于细胞分化至关重要。原肌球蛋白细胞表面蛋白 Cdo 作为多蛋白簇的组成部分发挥作用，介导细胞黏附信号转导。间隙连接蛋白 43 是形成间隙连接的主要连接蛋白，在肌发生中也起着关键作用。其至少部分作用独立于细胞间通道功能，但具体机制尚不清楚。本文采用多种光学方法，首次提供证据表明，Cx43 在成肌细胞分化过程中与 Cdo 发生物理相互作用，形成动态复合物，为考虑这种相互作用是 Cx43 非通道依赖性功能的结构基础提供了线索。
