Figure 6.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) inhibits the phosphorylation of Akt and ERK through site‐specific interaction. A, Structure of Cx43 carboxy terminus (CT) (K234–I382). B, Ramachandran plot of the final homology model. Ramachandran plot was generated with the Protein Geometry module in Molecular Operating Environment version 2015.1001. C, Structural model of the Cx43CT–Akt complex. D, Structural model of the Cx43CT–ERK complex. E, In vivo mutant binding assay was examined by co‐immunoprecipitation (IP). U87 cells were cotransfected with myc‐Cx43 mutant and Akt1‐HA or ERK1‐HA plasmids. F, Total or phosphorylated Akt and ERK in U87 (left) and GBM2 (right) tumorspheres transfected with mutant fragments was examined through western blot assays. Glioblastoma tumorspheres were transfected with control or Cx43‐mutant plasmid. Before collection cell spheres were treated with EGF (200 ng/mL) or PBS for 15 min