Intracellular spermine prevents acid-induced uncoupling of Cx43 gap junction channels

Serguei N. Skatchkov, Feliksas F. Bukauskas, Jan Benedikt, Mikhail Inyushin, Yuriy V. Kucheryavykh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polyamines (PAs), such as spermine and spermidine, modulate the activity of numerous receptors and channels in the central nervous system (CNS) and are stored in glial cells; however, little attention has been paid to their role in the regulation of connexin (Cx)-based gap junction channels. We have previously shown that PAs facilitate diffusion of Lucifer Yellow through astrocytic gap junctions in acute brain slices; therefore, we hypothesized that spermine can regulate Cx43-mediated (as the most abundant Cx in astrocytes) gap junctional communication. We used electrophysiological patch-clamp recording from paired Novikoff cells endogenously expressing Cx43 and HeLaCx43-EGFP transfectants to study pH-dependent modulation of cell-cell coupling in the presence or absence of PAs. Our results showed (i) a higher increase in gap junctional communication at higher concentrations of cytoplasmic spermine, and (ii) that spermine prevented uncoupling of gap junctions at low intracellular pH. Taken together, we conclude that spermine enhances Cx43-mediated gap junctional communication and may preserve neuronal excitability during ischemia and trauma when pH in the brain acidifies. We, therefore, suggest a new role of spermine in the regulation of a Cx43-based network under (patho)physiological conditions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)528-532
Number of pages5
JournalNeuroReport
Volume26
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 9 2015

Keywords

  • Cx43 gap junction channels
  • polyamines
  • spermine

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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