The Unstoppable Connexin43 Carboxyl-Terminus New Roles in Gap Junction Organization and Wound Healing

Intercellular connectivity mediated by gap junctions (GJs) composed of connexin43 (C×43) is critical to the function of excitable tissues such as the heart and brain. Disruptions to C×43 GJ organization are thought to be a factor in cardiac arrhythmias and are also implicated in epilepsy. This article is based on a presentation to the 4th Larry and Horti Fairberg Workshop on Interactive and Integrative Cardiology and summarizes the work of Gourdie and his lab on C×43 GJs in the heart. Background and perspective of recently published studies on the function of C×43-interacting protein zonula occludens-(ZO)-1 in determining the organization of GJ plaques are provided. In addition how a peptide containing a PDZ-binding sequence of C×43, developed as part of the work on cardiac GJ organization is also described, which has led to evidence for novel and unexpected roles for C×43 in modulating healing following tissue injury.