This rabbit anti-Connexin 36 polyclonal antibody is specific to mouse and rat Connexin 36 protein and expected to react with human but has not been confirmed. Connexin 36 polyclonal antibody recognizes the expressed product of the Gja9 gene, also known as Gja9, CX36. Cx36 is the first gap junction protein expressed predominantly in neuronal cells of the mammalian central nervous system. Validated applications for Connexin 36 polyclonal antibody are Western blotting and ELISA.

Applications: validated for Western blotting and ELISA
Host species and isotype: rabbit IgG
Polyclonal Antibody Designation: CYL5
Reactivity: mouse and rat (human) Connexin 36
Product size: 50 µg pack size

Intercellular communication through gap junctions plays an important role in a variety of cellular processes including homeostasis, morphogenesis, cell differentiation, and growth control. Gap junctions are transmembrane channels that directly link neighboring cells by mediating the exchange of low-molecular weight (<1200 kDa) metabolites, ions, and second messengers. Gap junctions are formed by the interaction of hemichannels (connexons) on adjacent cells. Connexons are hexameric assemblies of connexin proteins. At least 14 connexin genes are known.

Structural features common to connexin proteins include a cytoplasmic NH2-terminal tail, four transmembrane domains, two extracellular loops and a C- terminal cytoplasmic tail of varying length. Sequence comparisons reveal the greatest divergence between connexins occurs at the second intracellular loop and at the cytoplasmic tail. These domains are thought to mediate connexin type-specific properties including phosphorylation, response to gating stimuli, connexon assembly and membrane turnover. Modulation of gap junction communication can be achieved by multiple mechanisms and can occur very rapidly over a period of several hours. These mechanisms include alterations in transcription, translation, stability, post-translational processing (especially phosphorylation), gating, and insertion or removal from the plasma membrane. Interestingly, reduction or alteration in the levels or types of connexin expressed in a given cell type has been found to correlate with tumor progression and metastasis.

The murine Cx36 gene encodes a protein of 321 amino acids most homologous to connexin 35. Based on the presence of an intron within its coding region the Cx36 gene is suggested to form a new delta subclass of murine connexin genes. Cx36 is the first gap junction protein expressed predominantly in neuronal cells of the mammalian central nervous system. It is highly expressed in adult retina and is present in neurons of the inferior olive, the olfactory bulb, the CA3/CA4 hippocampal subfields and several brain-stem nuclei. Cx36 mRNA expression in brain increases gradually during fetal development until day 7 post-partum when its expression begins to decline. Biophysical measurements of gap junction channels formed by transfected and endogenous Cx36 indicate that they posess unique properties well suited for mediating flexible electrical and biochemical interactions between neurons.