Editing Gap junction (section)

===Embryonic, organ and tissue development===
In the 1980s, more subtle roles of gap junctions in communication have been investigated. It was discovered that gap junction communication could be disrupted by adding anti-connexin antibodies into embryonic cells.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 6088995 | volume=311 | issue=5982 | title=Antibodies to gap-junctional protein selectively disrupt junctional communication in the early amphibian embryo | year=1984 | journal=Nature | pages=127–31 | bibcode = 1984Natur.311..127W | last1 = Warner | first1 = Anne E. | last2 = Guthrie | first2 = Sarah C. | last3 = Gilula | first3 = Norton B. | doi = 10.1038/311127a0| s2cid=2620476 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | pmid = 3030673 | volume=125 | pages=154–67 | last1 = Warner | first1 = AE| title=Ciba Foundation Symposium 125 - Junctional Complexes of Epithelial Cells | chapter=The Use of Antibodies to Gap Junction Protein to Explore the Role of Gap Junctional Communication During Development | doi=10.1002/9780470513408.ch10 | series=Novartis Foundation Symposia | date=2007 | isbn=9780470513408 }}</ref> Embryos with areas of blocked gap junctions failed to develop normally. The mechanism by which antibodies blocked the gap junctions was unclear; systematic studies were undertaken to elucidate the mechanism.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 8661989 | volume=150 | issue=3 | title=Effect of antipeptide antibodies directed against three domains of connexin43 on the gap junctional permeability of cultured heart cells |date=April 1996 | journal=J. Membr. Biol. | pages=243–53 | doi = 10.1007/s002329900048 | last1 = Bastide | first1 = B | last2 = Jarry-Guichard | first2 = T | last3 = Briand | first3 = JP | last4 = Délèze | first4 = J | last5 = Gros | first5 = D| s2cid=20408672 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 9700496 | volume=24 | issue=1 | title=Visualization and functional blocking of gap junction hemichannels (connexons) with antibodies against external loop domains in astrocytes |date=September 1998 | journal=Glia | pages=141–54 | doi = 10.1002/(SICI)1098-1136(199809)24:1<141::AID-GLIA13>3.0.CO;2-R | last1 = Hofer | first1 = A | last2 = Dermietzel | first2 = R| s2cid=23234120 }}</ref> Refinement of these studies suggested that gap junctions were key in the development of cell polarity<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite journal |vauthors=Francis R, Xu X, Park H|title=Connexin43 modulates cell polarity and directional cell migration by regulating microtubule dynamics |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=6 |issue=10 |pages=e26379 |year=2011 |pmid=22022608 |pmc=3194834 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0026379 |editor1-last=Brandner |editor1-first=Johanna M|bibcode = 2011PLoSO...626379F |display-authors=etal|doi-access=free }}</ref> and the left-right symmetry in animals.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 9806775 | doi=10.1006/dbio.1998.9024 | volume=203 | issue=1 | title=Gap junctions are involved in the early generation of left-right asymmetry |date=November 1998 | journal=Dev. Biol. | pages=90–105 | last1 = Levin | first1 = Michael | last2 = Mercola | first2 = Mark| citeseerx=10.1.1.137.4340 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 10518488 | volume=126 | issue=21 | title=Gap junction-mediated transfer of left-right patterning signals in the early chick blastoderm is upstream of Shh asymmetry in the node |date=November 1999 | journal=Development | pages=4703–14 | last1 = Levin | first1 = M | last2 = Mercola | first2 = M| doi=10.1242/dev.126.21.4703 }}</ref> While signaling that determines the position of body organs appears to rely on gap junctions, so does the more fundamental differentiation of cells at later stages of embryonic development.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 10079512 | doi=10.1002/(SICI)1520-6408(1999)24:1/2<69::AID-DVG8>3.0.CO;2-M | volume=24 | issue=1–2 | title=Gap junction blockage interferes with neuronal and astroglial differentiation of mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells | year=1999 | journal=Dev. Genet. | pages=69–81 | last1 = Bani-Yaghoub | first1 = Mahmud | last2 = Underhill | first2 = T. Michael | last3 = Naus | first3 = Christian C.G.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 10192774 | doi=10.1006/exnr.1998.6950 | volume=156 | issue=1 | title=The effects of gap junction blockage on neuronal differentiation of human NTera2/clone D1 cells |date=March 1999 | journal=Exp. Neurol. | pages=16–32 | last1 = Bani-Yaghoub | first1 = Mahmud | last2 = Bechberger | first2 = John F. | last3 = Underhill | first3 = T. Michael | last4 = Naus | first4 = Christian C. G.| s2cid=41420671}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 10666026 | volume=278 | issue=2 | title=Differentiation of human fetal osteoblastic cells and gap junctional intercellular communication |date=February 2000 | journal=Am. J. Physiol., Cell Physiol. | pages=C315–22 | last1 = Donahue | first1 = HJ | last2 = Li | first2 = Z | last3 = Zhou | first3 = Z | last4 = Yellowley | first4 = CE| doi=10.1152/ajpcell.2000.278.2.C315 | s2cid=9894657 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 12826585 | doi=10.1095/biolreprod.103.016360 | volume=69 | issue=5 | title=Requirement of gap junctional intercellular communication for human villous trophoblast differentiation |date=November 2003 | journal=Biol. Reprod. | pages=1472–80 | last1 = Cronier | first1 = L | last2 = Frendo | first2 = JL | last3 = Defamie | first3 = N | last4 = Pidoux | first4 = G | last5 = Bertin | first5 = G | last6 = Guibourdenche | first6 = J | last7 = Pointis | first7 = G | last8 = Malassine | first8 = A| doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 12893812 | doi=10.1242/jcs.00656 | volume=116 | issue=Pt 17 | title=ECM-induced gap junctional communication enhances mammary epithelial cell differentiation |date=September 2003 | journal=J. Cell Sci. | pages=3531–41 | last1 = El-Sabban | first1 = ME | last2 = Sfeir | first2 = AJ | last3 = Daher | first3 = MH | last4 = Kalaany | first4 = NY | last5 = Bassam | first5 = RA | last6 = Talhouk | first6 = RS| doi-access = | s2cid=5057466 }}</ref>

Gap junctions were found to be responsible for the transmission of signals required for drugs to have an effect.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 10523421 | pmc=2269589 | volume=520 | title=The endothelial component of cannabinoid-induced relaxation in rabbit mesenteric artery depends on gap junctional communication |date=October 1999 | journal=J. Physiol. | pages=539–50 | issue=2 | doi = 10.1111/j.1469-7793.1999.00539.x | last1 = Chaytor | first1 = AT | last2 = Martin | first2 = PE | last3 = Evans | first3 = WH | last4 = Randall | first4 = MD | last5 = Griffith | first5 = TM}}</ref> Conversely, some drugs were shown to block gap junction channels.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 11535816 | doi=10.1073/pnas.191206198 | pmc=58578 | volume=98 | issue=19 | title=Quinine blocks specific gap junction channel subtypes |date=September 2001 | journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. | pages=10942–7 | last1 = Srinivas | first1 = M | last2 = Hopperstad | first2 = MG | last3 = Spray | first3 = DC|bibcode = 2001PNAS...9810942S | doi-access=free }}</ref>