PMID- 36144660
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20220926
LR  - 20220928
IS  - 1420-3049 (Electronic)
IS  - 1420-3049 (Linking)
VI  - 27
IP  - 18
DP  - 2022 Sep 12
TI  - Connexin Expression in Human Minor Salivary Glands: An Immunohistochemical 
      Microscopy Study.
LID - 10.3390/molecules27185926 [doi]
LID - 5926
AB  - Connexins (Cxs) are transmembrane proteins involved in the formation of 
      hemichannels and gap junctions (GJs). GJs are involved in various physiological 
      functions, including secretion in glandular tissue. It has been demonstrated that 
      Cx26, Cx32, and Cx43 are mainly expressed in glands, but no data are available in 
      human salivary glands to date. The aim of our study was to investigate the 
      presence and the localization of Cxs in human minor labial salivary glands. 
      Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy were employed to evaluate the 
      Cx26, Cx32, and Cx43 protein in human labial salivary gland biopsies (hLSGBs). 
      RT-PCR was also used to detect their mRNA expression. Cx expression was found at 
      both the mRNA and protein levels in all hLSGBs analysed. Cxs were observed at the 
      level of the duct and acinar cells, as well as in myoepithelial cells. The 
      localization of the three Cx types was very similar, suggesting colocalization of 
      these Cxs in the same connexons. These results demonstrated the presence of Cxs 
      in human salivary glands for the first time. Moreover, the few samples with 
      primary Sjogren's Syndrome analysed only by immunofluorescence showed an 
      alteration of the Cx expression, indicating that these proteins could be involved 
      in salivary gland dysfunctions.
FAU - Falleni, Alessandra
AU  - Falleni A
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6492-6038
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Moscato, Stefania
AU  - Moscato S
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-9283-6902
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Fulvio, Giovanni
AU  - Fulvio G
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-0130-4412
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Polizzi, Enza
AU  - Polizzi E
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Bernardeschi, Margherita
AU  - Bernardeschi M
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-2650-1834
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Bianchi, Francesco
AU  - Bianchi F
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Donati, Valentina
AU  - Donati V
AD  - Pathological Anatomy Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Cabiati, Manuela
AU  - Cabiati M
AD  - Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), National Research Council (CNR), 56124 
      Pisa, Italy.
FAU - Ippolito, Chiara
AU  - Ippolito C
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Del Ry, Silvia
AU  - Del Ry S
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-7163-245X
AD  - Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC), National Research Council (CNR), 56124 
      Pisa, Italy.
FAU - Baldini, Chiara
AU  - Baldini C
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
FAU - Mattii, Letizia
AU  - Mattii L
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-6835-7987
AD  - Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, 
      Italy.
LA  - eng
GR  - 539901_2021_Mattii_Ateneo/Ministry of Education, Universities and Research/
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20220912
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Molecules
JT  - Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
JID - 100964009
RN  - 0 (Connexin 43)
RN  - 0 (Connexins)
RN  - 0 (RNA, Messenger)
SB  - IM
MH  - *Connexin 43/genetics/metabolism
MH  - *Connexins/genetics
MH  - Humans
MH  - Microscopy
MH  - RNA, Messenger/metabolism
MH  - Salivary Glands, Minor/chemistry/metabolism
PMC - PMC9505306
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - RT-PCR
OT  - connexin 26
OT  - connexin 32
OT  - connexin 43
OT  - human salivary glands
OT  - immunoelectron microscopy
OT  - immunofluorescence
OT  - myoepithelial cell
COIS- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
EDAT- 2022/09/24 06:00
MHDA- 2022/09/28 06:00
PMCR- 2022/09/12
CRDT- 2022/09/23 01:37
PHST- 2022/07/29 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2022/09/02 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2022/09/08 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2022/09/23 01:37 [entrez]
PHST- 2022/09/24 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/09/28 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2022/09/12 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - molecules27185926 [pii]
AID - molecules-27-05926 [pii]
AID - 10.3390/molecules27185926 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Molecules. 2022 Sep 12;27(18):5926. doi: 10.3390/molecules27185926.