GJA4 explained

Gap junction alpha-4 protein, also known as Connexin-37 or Cx37, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GJA4 gene.^{[1] [2] [3]} This protein, like other Connexin proteins, forms connections between cells known as gap junctions. Connexin 37 can be found in many tissues including the ovary,^[4] heart,^[5] and kidney.^[6]

Further reading

• Book: Andrew L Harris . Darren Locke . Connexins, A Guide . Springer . 2009 . New York . 574 . 978-1-934115-46-6.
• Beyer EC, Paul DL, Goodenough DA . Connexin family of gap junction proteins . The Journal of Membrane Biology . 116 . 3 . 187–94 . July 1990 . 2167375 . 10.1007/BF01868459 . 43264684 .
• Haefliger JA, Bruzzone R, Jenkins NA, Gilbert DJ, Copeland NG, Paul DL . Four novel members of the connexin family of gap junction proteins. Molecular cloning, expression, and chromosome mapping . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 267 . 3 . 2057–64 . January 1992 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)46052-8 . 1370487 . free .
• Risek B, Guthrie S, Kumar N, Gilula NB . Modulation of gap junction transcript and protein expression during pregnancy in the rat . The Journal of Cell Biology . 110 . 2 . 269–82 . February 1990 . 1688855 . 2116004 . 10.1083/jcb.110.2.269 .
• Willecke K, Jungbluth S, Dahl E, Hennemann H, Heynkes R, Grzeschik KH . Six genes of the human connexin gene family coding for gap junctional proteins are assigned to four different human chromosomes . European Journal of Cell Biology . 53 . 2 . 275–80 . December 1990 . 1964417 .
• Van Camp G, Coucke P, Speleman F, Van Roy N, Beyer EC, Oostra BA, Willems PJ . The gene for human gap junction protein connexin37 (GJA4) maps to chromosome 1p35.1, in the vicinity of D1S195 . Genomics . 30 . 2 . 402–3 . November 1995 . 8586454 .
• Krutovskikh V, Mironov N, Yamasaki H . Human connexin 37 is polymorphic but not mutated in tumours . Carcinogenesis . 17 . 8 . 1761–3 . August 1996 . 8761439 . 10.1093/carcin/17.8.1761 . 10.1.1.610.8446 .
• Simon AM, Goodenough DA, Li E, Paul DL . Female infertility in mice lacking connexin 37 . Nature . 385 . 6616 . 525–9 . February 1997 . 9020357 . 10.1038/385525a0 . 1997Natur.385..525S . 4363114 .
• Krenacs T, Rosendaal M . Connexin43 gap junctions in normal, regenerating, and cultured mouse bone marrow and in human leukemias: their possible involvement in blood formation . The American Journal of Pathology . 152 . 4 . 993–1004 . April 1998 . 9546360 . 1858239 .
• van Rijen HV, van Kempen MJ, Postma S, Jongsma HJ . Tumour necrosis factor alpha alters the expression of connexin43, connexin40, and connexin37 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells . Cytokine . 10 . 4 . 258–64 . April 1998 . 9617570 . 10.1006/cyto.1997.0287 .
• Boerma M, Forsberg L, Van Zeijl L, Morgenstern R, De Faire U, Lemne C, Erlinge D, Thulin T, Hong Y, Cotgreave IA . A genetic polymorphism in connexin 37 as a prognostic marker for atherosclerotic plaque development . Journal of Internal Medicine . 246 . 2 . 211–8 . August 1999 . 10447790 . 10.1046/j.1365-2796.1999.00564.x . free .
• Saito T, Krutovskikh V, Marion MJ, Ishak KG, Bennett WP, Yamasaki H . Human hemangiosarcomas have a common polymorphism but no mutations in the connexin37 gene . International Journal of Cancer . 86 . 1 . 67–70 . April 2000 . 10728596 . 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(20000401)86:1<67::AID-IJC10>3.0.CO;2-1 . free .
• Suzuki Y, Taira H, Tsunoda T, Mizushima-Sugano J, Sese J, Hata H, Ota T, Isogai T, Tanaka T, Morishita S, Okubo K, Sakaki Y, Nakamura Y, Suyama A, Sugano S . Diverse transcriptional initiation revealed by fine, large-scale mapping of mRNA start sites . EMBO Reports . 2 . 5 . 388–93 . May 2001 . 11375929 . 1083880 . 10.1093/embo-reports/kve085 .
• Tsai MY, Lan KC, Huang KE, Huang FJ, Kung FT, Chang SY . Significance of mRNA levels of connexin37, connexin43, and connexin45 in luteinized granulosa cells of controlled hyperstimulated follicles . Fertility and Sterility . 80 . 6 . 1437–43 . December 2003 . 14667880 . 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.05.015 . free .
• Seul KH, Kang KY, Lee KS, Kim SH, Beyer EC . Adenoviral delivery of human connexin37 induces endothelial cell death through apoptosis . Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications . 319 . 4 . 1144–51 . July 2004 . 15194487 . 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.05.097 .
• Kameritsch P, Khandoga N, Nagel W, Hundhausen C, Lidington D, Pohl U . Nitric oxide specifically reduces the permeability of Cx37-containing gap junctions to small molecules . Journal of Cellular Physiology . 203 . 1 . 233–42 . April 2005 . 15481066 . 10.1002/jcp.20218 . free .

Notes and References

1. Richard G, Smith LE, Bailey RA, Itin P, Hohl D, Epstein EH, DiGiovanna JJ, Compton JG, Bale SJ . Mutations in the human connexin gene GJB3 cause erythrokeratodermia variabilis . Nature Genetics . 20 . 4 . 366–9 . December 1998 . 9843209 . 10.1038/3840 . 841727 .
2. Reed KE, Westphale EM, Larson DM, Wang HZ, Veenstra RD, Beyer EC . Molecular cloning and functional expression of human connexin37, an endothelial cell gap junction protein . The Journal of Clinical Investigation . 91 . 3 . 997–1004 . March 1993 . 7680674 . 288052 . 10.1172/JCI116321 .
3. Web site: Entrez Gene: GJA4 gap junction protein, alpha 4, 37kDa.
4. Book: Winterhager E, Kidder GM . Gap junction connexins in female reproductive organs: implications for women's reproductive health . Human Reproduction Update . 21 . 3 . 340–52 . May 2015 . 25667189 . 10.1093/humupd/dmv007 .
5. Book: Duffy HS, Fort AG, Spray DC . Cardiac connexins: genes to nexus . Advances in Cardiology . 42 . 1–17 . 2006 . 16646581 . 10.1159/000092550 . 978-3-8055-8077-9 . Cardiovascular Gap Junctions .
6. Hanner F, Sorensen CM, Holstein-Rathlou NH, Peti-Peterdi J . Connexins and the kidney . American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology . 298 . 5 . R1143–55 . May 2010 . 20164205 . 2867516 . 10.1152/ajpregu.00808.2009 .