Biology and pathobiology of cardiac connexins: From cell to bedside

This paper, presented on the occasion of the 1st Annual Douglas Zipes Lecture at the 2005 Scientific Sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society, briefly reviews current knowledge on the role of gap junctions in normal cardiac electrophysiology and the contributions of gap junction remodeling in the pathogenesis of malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. It highlights recent advances and new research directions in gap junction biology.