Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Department of Surgery, Division of Transplant, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Am J Transplant. 2022 Nov;22(11):2502-2508. doi: 10.1111/ajt.17104. Epub 2022 Jun 10.
Connexins are a class of membrane proteins widely distributed throughout the body and have various functions based on their location and levels of expression. More specifically, connexin proteins expressed in endothelial cells (ECs) have unique roles in maintaining EC barrier integrity and function-a highly regulated process that is critical for pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant reactions. In this minireview, we discuss the regulatory influence connexin proteins have in maintaining EC barrier integrity and their role in ischemia-reperfusion injury as it relates to organ transplantation. It is evident that certain isoforms of the connexin protein family are uniquely positioned to have far-reaching effects on preserving organ function; however, there is still much to be learned of their roles in transplant immunology and the application of this knowledge to the development of targeted therapeutics.
缝隙连接蛋白是一类广泛分布于全身的膜蛋白，根据其位置和表达水平具有多种功能。更具体地说，内皮细胞（ECs）中表达的缝隙连接蛋白在维持 EC 屏障完整性和功能方面具有独特的作用——这是一个高度调节的过程，对促炎和促凝反应至关重要。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了缝隙连接蛋白在维持 EC 屏障完整性方面的调节作用及其在与器官移植相关的缺血再灌注损伤中的作用。显然，缝隙连接蛋白家族的某些同工型具有对维持器官功能产生深远影响的独特位置；然而，它们在移植免疫学中的作用以及将这些知识应用于靶向治疗的开发仍有许多需要了解。
