Wong Pui, Tan Teresa, Chan Catherine, Laxton Victoria, Chan Yin Wah Fiona, Liu Tong, Wong Wing Tak, Tse Gary
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Front Physiol. 2016 Dec 6;7:596. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00596. eCollection 2016.
Gap junctions are intercellular proteins responsible for mediating both electrical and biochemical coupling through the exchange of ions, second messengers and small metabolites. They consist of two connexons, with (one) connexon supplied by each cell. A connexon is a hexamer of connexins and currently more than 20 connexin isoforms have been described in the literature thus far. Connexins have a short half-life, and therefore gap junction remodeling constantly occurs with a high turnover rate. Post-translational modification, such as phosphorylation, can modify their channel activities. In this article, the roles of connexins in wound healing and repair are reviewed. Novel strategies for modulating the function or expression of connexins, such as the use of antisense technology, synthetic mimetic peptides and bioactive materials for the treatment of skin wounds, diabetic and pressure ulcers as well as cornea wounds, are considered.
缝隙连接是细胞间蛋白质，负责通过离子、第二信使和小代谢物的交换介导电偶联和生化偶联。它们由两个连接子组成，每个细胞提供一个连接子。一个连接子是连接蛋白的六聚体，迄今为止，文献中已描述了20多种连接蛋白亚型。连接蛋白半衰期短，因此缝隙连接重塑以高周转率不断发生。翻译后修饰，如磷酸化，可改变其通道活性。本文综述了连接蛋白在伤口愈合和修复中的作用。还考虑了调节连接蛋白功能或表达的新策略，如使用反义技术、合成模拟肽和生物活性材料治疗皮肤伤口、糖尿病和压疮以及角膜伤口。
