Instruct: Identify the main category of Biorxiv papers based on the titles and abstracts
Query: Structure of the connexin-43 gap junction channel reveals a closed sieve-like molecular gate Gap junction channels (GJCs) mediate intercellular communication by connecting two neighboring cells and enabling direct exchange of ions and small molecules. Cell coupling via connexin-43 (Cx43) GJCs is important in a wide range of cellular processes in health and disease 1-3, yet the structural basis of Cx43 function and regulation has not been determined until now. Here we describe the structure of a human Cx43 GJC solved by cryo-EM and single particle analysis at 2.26 [A] resolution. The pore region of Cx43 GJC features several lipid-like densities per Cx43 monomer, located close to a putative lateral access site at the monomer boundary. We found a previously undescribed closed sieve-like gate on the cytosolic side of the pore, formed by the N-terminal domain and the transmembrane helix 2 of Cx43 and stabilized by a small molecule. Structures of the Cx43 GJC and hemichannels in nanodiscs confirm the sieve-like gate arrangement. The features of the Cx43 GJC and hemichannel cryo-EM maps and the channel properties revealed by molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the captured states of Cx43 are closed.
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The categories of this paper are: cancer
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The categories of this paper are: animal
11
The categories of this paper are: cognition
1
The categories of this paper are: bioinformatics
9
The categories of this paper are: synthetic
30
The categories of this paper are: scientific
29
The categories of this paper are: education
21
The categories of this paper are: toxicology
6
The categories of this paper are: plant
2
The categories of this paper are: biology
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The categories of this paper are: molecular
28
The categories of this paper are: communication
3
The categories of this paper are: evolutionary
4
The categories of this paper are: neuroscience
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The categories of this paper are: bioengineering
27
The categories of this paper are: pathology