Gap Junctions in the Brain

Download or read book Gap Junctions in the Brain written by Ekrem Dere and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2012-08-30 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In addition to chemical links across synapses, neurons can also form direct connections via electrical gap junctions. These channels play a key role in brain development and intercellular communication. Dere (pathophysiology of cerebral aging, U. Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris; AP-HP Hôpital Charles Foix, Centre de Recherche et Développement, Ivry-sur-Seine, France) introduces types of gap junctions, their structural aspects, expression patterns of connexins (transmembrane proteins), and gap junction-related diseases due to mutations in connexin genes. International researchers working in this emerging field discuss specific connexin genes and their mechanisms of action and function in the developing neocortx, behavior, and neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. The text includes color and b&w illustrations including schematic representations and models. Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).