Gap junctions: functional effects of molecular structure and tissue distribution.

J E Saffitz

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-5959-7_25

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Gap junctions: functional effects of molecular structure and tissue distribution.

J E Saffitz

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Abstract

Abnormal conduction is fundamental to the pathogenesis of both atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation. Normal atrial and ventricular myocytes express different combinations of multiple gap junction channel proteins and are interconnected by gap junctions in markedly different spatial distributions. These observations suggest that the disparate anisotropic conduction properties of atrial and ventricular muscle are determined, in part, by both structural and molecular features of gap junctions. Alterations in gap junctional coupling likely contribute to conduction abnormalities underlying reentrant atrial or ventricular arrhythmias.

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Animals Connexins Dogs Gap Junctions Gene Expression Heart Atria Heart Conduction System Heart Ventricles Immunohistochemistry Models, Molecular Myocardium Phenotype RNA, Messenger Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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J E Saffitz. 1997. Gap junctions: functional effects of molecular structure and tissue distribution.. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5959-7_25

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