Enhanced Methodologies forInvestigating the Electrophysiological Characteristics of Endogenous Pannexin 1 Intercellular Cell-Cell Channels.

Abstract

Gap junctions, pivotal intercellular conduits, serve as communication channels betweenadjacent cells, playing a critical role in modulating membrane potential distribution across cellular networks. The family ofPannexin (Panx) proteins, in particular Pannexin1 (Panx1), are widelyexpressed in vertebrate cells and exhibit sequence homology with innexins, the invertebrate gap junction channelconstituents. Despite being ubiquitously expressed, detailed functional and pharmacological properties ofPanx1 intercellular cell-cell channelsrequire further investigation. In this chapter, we introduce optimized cell culture methodologies and electrophysiology protocols to expedite the exploration of endogenous Panx1 cell-cell channels in TC620 cells, a human oligodendroglioma cell line that naturally expresses Panx1. We anticipate theserefined protocols will significantly contributeto future characterizations of Panx1-based intercellularcell-cell channelsacross diverse cell types andoffer valuable insights into both normalcellular physiology and pathophysiology.