TY - JOUR
T1 - Functional expression of connexin30 and connexin31 in the polarized human airway epithelium
AU - Wiszniewski, Ludovic
AU - Sanz, Javier
AU - Scerri, Isabelle
AU - Gasparotto, Elena
AU - Dudez, Tecla
AU - Lacroix, Jean Silvain
AU - Suter, Susanne
AU - Gallati, Sabina
AU - Chanson, Marc
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We thank Dr. Brenda Kwak for critical reading of the manuscript and Suzanne Duperret for secretary assistance. We also thank Drs. Lan Jornot and Thierry Rochat for their continuous support and help with the airway epithelium cultures. This work was supported by grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (#3100-067120.01 to M. C.), the French Association ‘‘Vaincre la Mucoviscidose’’ (to M. C.) and the Swiss Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (to S. G. and M. C.).
PY - 2007/6
Y1 - 2007/6
N2 - Gap junctions are documented in the human airway epithelium but the functional expression and molecular identity of their protein constituents (connexins, Cx) in the polarized epithelium is not known. To address this question, we documented the expression of a family of epithelial Cx (Cx26, Cx30, Cx30.3, Cx31, Cx31.1, Cx32, Cx37, Cx40, and Cx43) in primary human airway epithelial cells (AEC) grown on porous supports. Under submerged conditions, AEC formed a monolayer of airway cells whereas the air-liquid interface induced within 30-60 days AEC differentiation into a polarized epithelium for up to 6-9 months. Maturation of AEC was associated with the down-regulation of Cx26 and Cx43. The well-differentiated airway epithelium exhibited gap junctional communication between ciliated and between ciliated and basal cells. Interestingly, Cx30 was mostly present between ciliated cells whereas Cx31 was found between basal cells. These results are supportive of the establishment of signal-selective gap junctions with maturation of AEC, likely contributing to support airway epithelium function. These results lay the ground for studying the role of Cx-mediated cell-cell communication during repair following AEC injury and exploring Cx-targeted interventions to modulate the healing process.
AB - Gap junctions are documented in the human airway epithelium but the functional expression and molecular identity of their protein constituents (connexins, Cx) in the polarized epithelium is not known. To address this question, we documented the expression of a family of epithelial Cx (Cx26, Cx30, Cx30.3, Cx31, Cx31.1, Cx32, Cx37, Cx40, and Cx43) in primary human airway epithelial cells (AEC) grown on porous supports. Under submerged conditions, AEC formed a monolayer of airway cells whereas the air-liquid interface induced within 30-60 days AEC differentiation into a polarized epithelium for up to 6-9 months. Maturation of AEC was associated with the down-regulation of Cx26 and Cx43. The well-differentiated airway epithelium exhibited gap junctional communication between ciliated and between ciliated and basal cells. Interestingly, Cx30 was mostly present between ciliated cells whereas Cx31 was found between basal cells. These results are supportive of the establishment of signal-selective gap junctions with maturation of AEC, likely contributing to support airway epithelium function. These results lay the ground for studying the role of Cx-mediated cell-cell communication during repair following AEC injury and exploring Cx-targeted interventions to modulate the healing process.
KW - Airway epithelium
KW - Cell-cell interaction
KW - Connexins
KW - Differentiation
KW - Gap junctions
KW - Human cell model
KW - Proliferation
KW - Subcellular organization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34249032714&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1432-0436.2007.00157.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1432-0436.2007.00157.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17428265
AN - SCOPUS:34249032714
SN - 0301-4681
VL - 75
SP - 382
EP - 392
JO - Differentiation
JF - Differentiation
IS - 5
ER -