Connexins and Pannexins in Vascular Function and Disease.

Molica F; Figueroa XF; Kwak BR; Isakson BE; Gibbins JM

doi:10.3390/ijms19061663

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Journal article

Connexins and Pannexins in Vascular Function and Disease.

Molica F Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland. filippo.Molica@unige.ch.
Figueroa XF Departamento de Fisiología, Faculdad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330025, Chile. xfigueroa@bio.puc.cl.
Kwak BR Department of Pathology and Immunology, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland. brenda.kwakchanson@unige.ch.
Isakson BE Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. bei6n@virginia.edu.
Gibbins JM Institute for Cardiovascular & Metabolic Research, School of Biological Sciences, Harborne Building, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AS, UK. j.m.gibbins@reading.ac.uk.

2018-06-08

Published in:

International journal of molecular sciences. - 2018

Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena

English Connexins (Cxs) and pannexins (Panxs) are ubiquitous membrane channel forming proteins that are critically involved in many aspects of vascular physiology and pathology. The permeation of ions and small metabolites through Panx channels, Cx hemichannels and gap junction channels confers a crucial role to these proteins in intercellular communication and in maintaining tissue homeostasis. This review provides an overview of current knowledge with respect to the pathophysiological role of these channels in large arteries, the microcirculation, veins, the lymphatic system and platelet function. The essential nature of these membrane proteins in vascular homeostasis is further emphasized by the pathologies that are linked to mutations and polymorphisms in Cx and Panx genes.

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