The DOI matches its Crossref record; 30 of the 30 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Animal cells connected by nanotubes can be electrically coupled through interposed gap-junction channels
Open accessAbstract
Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are recently discovered conduits for a previously unrecognized form of cell-to-cell communication. These nanoscale, F-actin–containing membrane tubes connect cells over long distances and facilitate the intercellular exchange of small molecules and organelles. Using optical membrane-potential measurements combined with mechanical stimulation and whole-cell patch-clamp recording, we demonstrate that TNTs mediate the bidirectional spread of electrical signals between TNT-connected normal rat kidney cells over distances of 10 to 70 μm. Similar results were obtained for other cell types, suggesting that electrical coupling via TNTs may be a widespread characteristic of animal cells. Strength of electrical coupling depended on the length and number of TNT connections. Several lines of evidence implicate a role for gap junctions in this long-distance electrical coupling: punctate connexin 43 immunoreactivity was frequently detected at one end of TNTs, and electrical coupling was voltage-sensitive and inhibited by meclofenamic acid, a gap-junction blocker. Cell types lacking gap junctions did not show TNT-dependent electrical coupling, which suggests that TNT-mediated electrical signals are transmitted through gap junctions at a membrane interface between the TNT and one cell of the connected pair. Measurements of the fluorescent calcium indicator X-rhod-1 revealed that TNT-mediated depolarization elicited threshold-dependent, transient calcium signals in HEK293 cells. These signals were inhibited by the voltage-gated Ca 2+channel blocker mibefradil, suggesting they were generated via influx of calcium through low voltage-gated Ca 2+channels. Taken together, our data suggest a unique role for TNTs, whereby electrical synchronization between distant cells leads to activation of downstream target signaling.
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Cites
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Metadata
- Authors
- Wang, X., Veruki, M. L., Bukoreshtliev, N. V., Hartveit, E., & Gerdes, H.-H.
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2010-09-20
- Volume
- 107
- Issue
- 40
- Pages
- 17194-17199
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- OpenAlex
- W2052242572
- Cited by
- 337
- References
- 30
- FWCI
- 5.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
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