Pannexin-2, a novel mitochondrial-associated membrane protein, may become the new strategy to treat and prevent neurological disorders

摘要

Connexins and pannexins are two kinds of transmembrane proteins, which play important physiological roles.Connexins form hemichannels and channels, mainly contributing to the formation of gap junctions.Pannexins are newly discovered gap junction proteins and their structures consist of intracellular N-termini, intracellular C termini, an intracellular loop, two extracellular loops, and four transmembrane regions [1].Because the extracellular domains of pannexins contain glycosylated asparagine residues, pannexins cannot form intercellular channels [2], but in the plasma membrane they can form large pores that can be permeated by ions and other molecules such as ATP [3].