Objective The most often established direct intercellular communication is mediated via gap junctions, specialised intercellular structures through which most cells in tissues communicate. They provide not only pathways for electrical current as in cardiac and smooth muscle but also for metabolic co-operation by an intercellular equilibration of channel permeant molecules (up to 900 d). Gap-junction channels consist of connexin proteins which are coded for by a multigene family. At least twelve connexins are known in mammals. The project will elucidate the mechanisms of the opening and closing of defined gap junctions in different cellular systems and influences of various modulators. Starting with cell pairs of connexin transfected cells, a biophysical characterisation of homologous as well as of heterologous gap-junction channels will be achieved. This will be followed by investigations of cell-cell coupling and of intercellular contacts between cells grown as monolayers, where the cells establish various contacts resembling in vivo situations. Under these conditions heterologous gap-junction channels will be found and can be analysed according to data derived from transfected cells. Finally, more complex cellular systems will be analysed, such as multicellular spheroids and organcultures, where the architecture of the tissue is restored, and where different cell types are co-operating and the extracellular matrix and non-cellular elements are present similarly to the situation in vivo.These results should allow a differentiation between post-transcriptional and post-translational regulation and processes acting directly on gap-junction channels and their role in normal and pathological tissue functions. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Topic(s) 42 - Physical Chemical Biology Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator Universität Stuttgart EU contribution No data Address Pfaffenwaldring 57 70550 Stuttgart Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics Russia EU contribution No data Address 142292 Pushchino, Moscow Region See on map Total cost No data Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov Russia EU contribution No data Address 119899 Moscow See on map Total cost No data Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 3584 CG Utrecht See on map Total cost No data
