High-resolution measurements of gap-junctional conductance during perfusion with anti-connexin antibodies in pairs of cultured mammalian cells

Abstract

Antibodies against the main proteins in hepatic gap junctions - connexin-26 and connexin-32 - have been used in conjunction with high-resolution patch-clamp techniques to investigate whether a relation exists between connexin type and conductance of single gap-junctional channels. Two different cell lines, BRL cells, derived from rat liver, and FL cells a human amniotic cell line exhibited the same single-channel conductances in double whole-cell recordings, but reacted differently upon dialysis with antibodies. Preliminary results indicate that both cell lines express mainly connexin-43. Thus, in spite of the inhibitory action of anti-cx26 and anti-cx32 antibodies observed, the data question the reliability of these antibodies for the functional characterization of gap-junction proteins in electrophysiological experiments.