Figure 8.

The Cx45 junction voltage-gated conductance tends to the Cx43 one by increasing the minimum conductance term $G_1$ and $V_{0,j}=V_{0,j}=V_0$ in Equation (3), as shown qualitatively by the arrows and the dashed curve. This transition gives an enhanced connectivity which is almost independent of the intercellular potential difference in the case of the Cx43 junction, contrary to the case of the original sharp Cx45 junction; see Figure 1 here for the experimental conductances together with [21]. This result may suggest new opportunities for bioelectrical normalization if the patch junction conductance can be modulated independently of the surrounding bulk junction conductance. In particular, the patch conductance should be increased at the initial stages of abnormal depolarization to assist the normalization forced by the surrounding bulk while it should be decreased at late stages of patch growing and consolidation to avoid the patch resistance to normalization as a whole. Note, however, that this is a purely bioelectrical result while connexins and gap junctions have also other biochemical and biomechanical functions in addition to provide intercellular electrical conductances.