Gap junction gene and protein families: Connexins, innexins, and pannexins

Gap junction channels facilitate the intercellular exchange of ions and small molecules. While this process is critical to all multicellular organisms, the proteins that form gap junction channels are not conserved. Vertebrate gap junctions are formed by connexins, while invertebrate gap junctions are formed by innexins. Interestingly, vertebrates and lower chordates contain innexin homologs, the pannexins, which also form channels, but rarely (if ever) make intercellular channels. While the connexin and the innexin/pannexin polypeptides do not share significant sequence similarity, all three of these protein families share a similar membrane topology and some similarities in quaternary structure. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Gap Junction Proteins edited by Jean Claude Herve.