Mostly hydrophobic residues from a single α-helix line the gap junction pore.
Previous studies determined the basic structure of a gap junction, in which one membrane-spanning α-helix from each subunit of the channel is exposed to the interior of the pore, but this does not reveal what types of residues line the pore or how specificity is determined. The authors generated a panel of mutated connexin proteins, in each case replacing a single amino acid with a cysteine. These altered connexin subunits were expressed in and formed gap junctions between pairs of Xenopus oocytes, and their reactivity with a thiol blocking agent in a novel cell perfusion system pinpointed the residues lining the pore.
The results identify a single α-helix of the connexin as the main pore-lining segment of the gap junction channel, and suggest that a single face of that helix is exposed to the pore. Surprisingly, the apparent pore-lining residues are almost all hydrophobic, an arrangement that is unique among ion channels studied to date.
Skerrett et al. suggest that, unlike classical ion channels, gap junction channels may interact with passing molecules primarily through hydrophobic and weak forces. The new techniques developed for the study also provide a platform for uncovering other structural details about gap junctions. Recently, for example, the authors have used this strategy to map the location of a gate within the pore. ▪