Connexin make-up of endothelial gap junctions in the rat pulmonary artery as revealed by immunoconfocal microscopy and triple-label immunogold electron microscopy

Yu Shien Ko, Hung I. Yeh, Stephen Rothery, Emmanuel Dupont, Steven R. Coppen, Nicholas J. Severs*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

52 Scopus citations

Abstract

Integration of vascular endothelial function relies on multiple signaling mechanisms, including direct cell-cell communication through gap junctions. Gap junction proteins expressed in the endothelium include connexin37, connexin40, and connexin43. To investigate whether individual endothelial cells in vivo express all three connexin types and, if so, whether multiple connexins are assembled into the same gap junction plaque, we used affinity-purified connexin-specific antibodies raised in three different species to permit multiple-label immunoconfocal and immunoelectron microscopy in the rat main pulmonary artery. Immunoconfocal microscopy showed a high incidence of co-localization between connexin43 and connexin40, but lower incidences of co-localization between connexin37 and connexin40 or connexin43. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that 83% of gap junction profiles contained all three connexins, with the proportion of connexin40 labeling being significantly higher than that of connexin37 or connexin43. The presence of three different connexin types of distinct properties in vitro provides potential for complex regulation and functional differentiation of endothelial intercellular communication properties in vivo.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)683-691
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
Volume47
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 05 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Confocal microscopy
  • Connexin
  • Endothelium
  • Gap junction
  • Immunogold

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