Gap Junction Protein Alpha 5
CX40
Gap Junction Alpha-5 Protein
Connexin 40
Gap Junction Protein, Alpha 5, 40kDa (Connexin 40)
Gap Junction Protein, Alpha 5, 40kD (Connexin 40)
Gap Junction Protein, Alpha 5, 40kDa
Gap Junction Protein Alpha 5 40kDa
Connexin-40
ATFB11
Cx40
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. Mutations in this gene may be associated with atrial fibrillation. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same isoform have been described. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in humans identified a GJA5 c.286G>T (p.Ala96Ser) exonic missense variant in post-mortem cardiac tissues from sudden unexplained death in infancy (SUDI) victims, which was classified as likely pathogenic according to ACMG guidelines and results in decreased electrical coupling of gap junctions [Andersen et al. DOI:10.1007/s00414-019-02127-9]. In a separate study on human and rat corpus cavernosum, GJA5 was characterized as a marker for arterial endothelial cells, where in human tissue GJA5+ ECs accounted for the lowest proportion and were mainly distributed in the cavernous arteries region, while in rats Gja5 may not be a useful marker for venous and corpus cavernosum endothelial cells [Yin et al. DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114760]. A study in mice demonstrated that restoration of Connexin 40 correlated with the reversal of conduction anomalies in a myotonic dystrophy mouse model [Lee et al. DOI:10.1093/hmg/ddac108].