Quantitative Analysis of Low-Resistance Junctions between Cultured Cells and Correlation with Gap-Junctional Areas

Electrophysiological studies of low-resistance junctions between Novikoff hepatoma cells grown in suspension cultures were carried out and correlated with gap-junctional areas per inferface determined by freeze-fracture. The mean coupling coefficient between isolated cell pairs was 0.773 ± 0.025 (SE...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of cell biology 1978-02, Vol.76 (2), p.532-544
Main Authors: Sheridan, J. D., Hammer-Wilson, M., Preus, D., Johnson, R. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal cells
Animals
Cell cycle
Cell membranes
Cells
Coupling coefficients
Cultured cells
Daughter cells
Electric Conductivity
Electrophysiology
Embryonic cells
Freeze Fracturing
Gap junctions
Gap Junctions - physiology
Gap Junctions - ultrastructure
Liver Neoplasms, Experimental
Microscopy, Electron
Rats
Tumor Cells, Cultured
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Electrophysiological studies of low-resistance junctions between Novikoff hepatoma cells grown in suspension cultures were carried out and correlated with gap-junctional areas per inferface determined by freeze-fracture. The mean coupling coefficient between isolated cell pairs was 0.773 ± 0.025 (SEM) in 67G medium and 0.653 ± 0.028 in M67 medium; the respective means for the central pairs of four-cell chains were 0.714 ± 0.034 and 0.595 ± 0.026. Mean estimates of nonjunctional resistances for cell pairs were 3.0± 0.32× 107ohm (67G) and 2.01± 0.01× 107ohm (M67), and the respective estimates for specific nonjunctional resistances were 158.6± 8.1 ohm- cm2(67G) and 133.0± 812 ohm- cm2(M67). Mean estimates of junctional conductances were 0.409± 0.058× 10-6mho (67G) and 0.211± 0.018× 10-6mho (M67) for pairs and 0.291± 0.063× 10-6mho (67G) and 0.212 ± 0.04 mho (M67) for four-cell chains. The mean area of gap junction per interface for separate cell populations was 0.187± 0.049 μ m2and 0.269± 0.054 μ m2for cells fixed in loose pellets and in suspension, respectively. When compared with the mean junctional conductance, these values gave specific junctional conductance estimates of 1.13× 102mho/ cm2and 0.78× 102mho/ cm2, respectively. These values are higher than most previous estimates, but are consistent with the hypothesis that gap-junctional particles contain central hydrophilic channels, about 2 nm in diameter, which have cytoplasmic resistivity.
ISSN:0021-9525
1540-8140
DOI:10.1083/jcb.76.2.532