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Dissecting the Connexin43 Vesicular Transport Pathway by Super-Resolution Microscopy

Gap junctions comprised of the protein connexin43 (Cx43, gene name GJA1) facilitate the rapid propagation of action potentials through the working myocardium that is necessary for each heartbeat [1]. Altered localization of Cx43 occurs in most forms of heart disease and underlies the electrical disturbances responsible for arrhythmogenesis and sudden cardiac death. Cx43 experiences a relatively short half-life of under 3 hours. This rapid turnover has exposed the need for understanding regulation of the intracellular vesicular transport pathway as a critical component of pathological gap junction remodeling [2]. Six Cx43 protamers oligomerize intracellularly at the trans-Golgi network (TGN) to form connexon hemichannels [3, 4]. Cx43 hemichannels are then transported to the cell surface via the cytoskeleton where they form continuous intercellular conduits upon coupling with connexons on apposing cells [5, 6]. Oligomerization represents a key regulatory step in the lifecycle of ion channels yet many of the factors influencing the temporal and spatial formation of Cx43 hemichannels remain unknown.