Connexin26 hemichannels with a mutation that causes KID syndrome in humans lack sensitivity to CO2
Abstract
Mutations in connexin26 (Cx26) underlie a range of serious human pathologies. Previously we have shown that Cx26 hemichannels are directly opened by CO2 (Meigh et al., 2013). However, the effects of human disease-causing mutations on the CO2 sensitivity of Cx26 are entirely unknown. Here, we report the first connection between the CO2 sensitivity of Cx26 and human pathology, by demonstrating that Cx26 hemichannels with the mutation A88V, linked to Keratitis-Ichthyosis-Deafness syndrome, are both CO2 insensitive and associated with disordered breathing in humans.
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Human subjects: The Institutional Review Board of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center considered this under the category of a case report and thus exempt from formal review.
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© 2014, Meigh et al.
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