| ID | Sequence | Length | GC content |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAAAGCUUUUACGAGGUAUCAGCACUUUUCUUUCAUUAGGGGGAAGGCG… | 3083 nt | 0.4045 |
This gene is a member of the connexin gene family. The encoded protein is a component of gap junctions, which are composed of arrays of intercellular channels that provide a route for the diffusion of low molecular weight materials from cell to cell. The encoded protein is the major protein of gap junctions in the heart that are thought to have a crucial role in the synchronized contraction of the heart and in embryonic development. A related intronless pseudogene has been mapped to chromosome 5. Mutations in this gene have been associated with oculodentodigital dysplasia, autosomal recessive craniometaphyseal dysplasia and heart malformations. [provided by RefSeq, May 2014]
A study in domestic swine demonstrated that the GJA1 gene, encoding a gap junction protein, exhibited further repression at the mature mRNA level compared to its nascent transcript in myocardial infarction, identifying it as an arrhythmia-related gene subject to post-transcriptional regulation [Kaikkonen et al. DOI:10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.117.001702]. In human arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, the GJA1 protein showed perturbed localization and reduced levels at the intercalated discs, correlating with pathogenic molecular remodeling [Chen et al. DOI:10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.114.302810]. A study in rats demonstrated that dephosphorylated connexin 43 is an early marker of myocardial ischemia, showing gap junctional expression with lateralization as early as 15 minutes after coronary artery ligation [Sabatasso et al. DOI:10.1007/S00414-016-1401-9]. In human autopsy cases, the rate of non-phosphorylated connexin 43 was significantly increased in both acute coronary syndrome and sudden cardiac death without coronary artery involvement compared to non-cardiac death controls, suggesting its utility as an indicator of rapid ischemic changes in the myocardium [Takeichi et al. DOI:10.1016/J.Legalmed.2025.102664].