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. 1984 Jan;45(1):208–218. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(84)84149-1

Gap junction structures. VI. Variation and conservation in connexon conformation and packing.

L Makowski, D L Caspar, W C Phillips, T S Baker, D A Goodenough
PMCID: PMC1435272  PMID: 6324904

Abstract

Correlation of structural changes in isolated gap junctions with the mechanism of channel gating is complicated by the effects of isolation procedures and the lack of a direct functional assay. The effect of variations in the isolation procedure are examined by comparison of the structures of gap junctions isolated by different protocols. X-ray diffraction data from over two hundren specimens are compared to provide a basis for identification of invariant aspects of the connexon structure and variable properties related either to functional switching or experimental modifications. We discuss the relationship between subunit tilt, lattice symmetry and packing, and membrane curvature and demonstrate that membrane curvature may be a natural consequence of the structure of the connexons and the patterns of interactions between them.

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212FIGURE 4
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214FIGURE 6
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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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