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Table 1 Summary of properties of open-ended and GJ-containing TTs

From: The role of neural connexins in HeLa cell mobility and intercellular communication through tunneling tubes

Cx isoform

L (μm)

Number of TTs per mm2/

per 100 cellsc

gT (nS)

siRNA/AF488

permeability (×10−14 cm3/s)

TT/(−)GJ

(HeLa wt)

16.3 ± 0.4

(n = 214)

51 ± 8/

9.5 ± 1.3

6.0 ± 1.1a

(n = 17)

65 ± 38

(n = 5)

TT/

Cx36-EGFP

17.0 ± 0.4

(n = 330)

79 ± 9*/

30 ± 7.1*

0.8 ± 0.2

(n = 16)

b

(n = 5)

TT/

Cx40-CFP

15.9 ± 0.5

(n = 126)

46 ± 6/

9.7 ± 1.8

16.5 ± 2.8

(n = 20)

4.4 ± 2.0

(n = 6)

TT/

Cx43-EGFP

17.0 ± 1.1

(n = 96)

23 ± 4*/

4.7 ± 0.7*

8.8 ± 3.4

(n = 7)

32 ± 17

(n = 4)

TT/Cx45

14.3 ± 1.0

(n = 68)

5.7 ± 1.6*/

1.4 ± 0.3*

4.1 ± 0.5

(n = 41)

b

(n = 8)

TT/Cx47

15.1 ± 0.5

(n = 112)

27 ± 3*/

5.0 ± 0.9*

3.0 ± 0.6

(n = 15)

4.3 ± 1.9

(n = 6)

  1. “–” nonpermeable; the number of experiments is indicated in parentheses; the diameter of TTs did not depend on the isoform of expressed Cxs and it was 0.9 μm on average (n = 210; varied from 0.4 to 2.4 μm)
  2. * p < 0.05 compared with HeLa wt cells
  3. athe majority of junctions were closed-ended (53 out of 70); b Cx36-EGFP and Cx45 GJs were impermeable to siRNA/AF488; however, they were permeable to AF488 (6.3 ± 1.9 × 10−14 cm3/s (n = 5) and 6.4 ± 4.9 × 10−14 cm3/s (n = 4), respectively); cCell densities measured 36 h after seeding were 81 ± 5; 75 ± 6; 78 ± 3; 73 ± 7; 70 ± 3; and 79 ± 5 cells per region for wt; Cx36-EGFP-; Cx40-CFP-; Cx43-EGFP-; Cx45-; and Cx47-expressing HeLa cells, respectively