Degradation of connexins and gap junctions #MMPMID24486527
Falk MM; Kells RM; Berthoud VM
FEBS Lett 2014[Apr]; 588 (8): 1221-9 PMID24486527show ga
Connexin proteins are short-lived within the cell, whether present in the secretory pathway or in gap junction plaques. Their levels can be modulated by their rate of degradation. Connexins, at different stages of assembly, are degraded through the proteasomal, endo-/lysosomal, and phago-/lysosomal pathways. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about connexin and gap junction degradation including the signals and protein-protein interactions that participate in their targeting for degradation.