Common mechanisms linking connexin43 to neural progenitor cell migration and glioma invasion

Cell migration is critical for cell differentiation, tissue formation and organ development. Several mechanisms come to play in the process of cell migration, orchestrating changes in cell polarity, adhesion, process extension and motility. Recent findings have shown that gap junctions, and specifically connexin43 (Cx43), can play a significant role in these processes, impacting adhesion and cytoskeletal rearrangements. Thus Cx43 within a cell regulates its motility and migration via intracellular signaling. Furthermore, Cx43 in the host cells can impact the degree of cellular migration through that tissue. Similarities in these connexin-based processes account for both neural progenitor migration in the developing brain, and for glioma cell invasion in the mature brain. In both cases, Cx43 in the tissue (“soil”) in which cells (“seeds”) exist facilitates their migration and, for glioma cells, tissue invasion. Cx43 mediates these effects through channel- and non-channel-dependent mechanisms which have similarities in both paradigms of cell migration. This provides insight into developmental processes and pathological situations, as well as possible therapeutic approaches regarding specific functional domains of gap junction proteins.