Regulation of Cx43 Gap Junctions: The Gatekeeper and the Password

Gap junctions are regulatable pores that connect the cytoplasms of neighboring cells. Hossain and Boynton focus on connexin 43 gap junctions and their regulation by changing the phosphorylation status of the COOH-terminal domain of connexin 43 or by altering protein-protein interactions in this region. The COOH-terminal domain of connexin 43 appears to be a key player in regulating gap junctional communication (GJC) because many divergent signals in many different cell types modify this domain to inhibit GJC.