Role of gap junctions during early embryo development
Role of gap junctions during early embryo development
Gap junctional communication plays a central role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis by allowing the passage of small molecules between adjacent cells. Gap junctions are composed of a family of proteins termed connexins. During preimplantation development several connexin proteins are expressed and assembled into gap junctions in the plasma membrane at compaction but the functional significance of connexin diversity remains controversial. Although, many of the connexin genes have been disrupted using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells to obtain unique phenotypes, none of these studies has demonstrated a specific role for connexins during preimplantation development in the null mutants. This review surveys evidence for the involvement of gap junctional communication during embryo development highlighting discrepancies in the literature. Although some evidence suggests that gap junctions may be dispensable during preimplantation development this is difficult to envisage particularly for the process of cavitation and the maintenance of homeostasis between the differentiated trophectoderm cells and the pluripotent inner cell mass cells of the blastocyst.
129-135
Houghton, Franchesca D.
53946041-127e-45a8-9edb-bf4b3c23005f
2005
Houghton, Franchesca D.
53946041-127e-45a8-9edb-bf4b3c23005f
Houghton, Franchesca D.
(2005)
Role of gap junctions during early embryo development.
Reproduction, 129 (2), .
(doi:10.1530/rep.1.00277).
Abstract
Gap junctional communication plays a central role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis by allowing the passage of small molecules between adjacent cells. Gap junctions are composed of a family of proteins termed connexins. During preimplantation development several connexin proteins are expressed and assembled into gap junctions in the plasma membrane at compaction but the functional significance of connexin diversity remains controversial. Although, many of the connexin genes have been disrupted using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells to obtain unique phenotypes, none of these studies has demonstrated a specific role for connexins during preimplantation development in the null mutants. This review surveys evidence for the involvement of gap junctional communication during embryo development highlighting discrepancies in the literature. Although some evidence suggests that gap junctions may be dispensable during preimplantation development this is difficult to envisage particularly for the process of cavitation and the maintenance of homeostasis between the differentiated trophectoderm cells and the pluripotent inner cell mass cells of the blastocyst.
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Published date: 2005
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Local EPrints ID: 24767
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/24767
ISSN: 0022-4251
PURE UUID: 1f525e9a-3dc1-43b5-ae4e-233c8a70c70c
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Date deposited: 03 Apr 2006
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:49
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