Electrical transmission across nerve cells is accomplished when the current generated in the upstream neuron spreads to the downstream neuron through a path of low electrical resistance. In neurons this is accomplished at gap junctions. Electrical synapses are found in neuronal tissue where the activity of neurons must be highly synchronized. The neurons responsible for hormone secretion from the mammalian hypothalamus are a class of highly synchronized electric neurons. Gap junctions connecting the presynaptic cell with the postsynaptic cell allow current generated in the presynaptic cell to flow directly into the postsynaptic cell. Transmission speed is dramatically increased in such a system. The junction itself is composed of two hemichannels, one each on the pre- and postsysnaptic cells. These channels are composed of members of the connexin family of proteins.
Söhl G, Nielsen PA, Eiberger J, Willecke K.; ''Expression profiles of the novel human connexin genes hCx30.2, hCx40.1, and hCx62 differ from their putative mouse orthologues.''; PubMedEurope PMCScholia
Bruzzone R, Hormuzdi SG, Barbe MT, Herb A, Monyer H.; ''Pannexins, a family of gap junction proteins expressed in brain.''; PubMedEurope PMCScholia
Frank M, Eiberger B, Janssen-Bienhold U, de Sevilla Müller LP, Tjarks A, Kim JS, Maschke S, Dobrowolski R, Sasse P, Weiler R, Fleischmann BK, Willecke K.; ''Neuronal connexin-36 can functionally replace connexin-45 in mouse retina but not in the developing heart.''; PubMedEurope PMCScholia
Belluardo N, Trovato-Salinaro A, Mudò G, Hurd YL, Condorelli DF.; ''Structure, chromosomal localization, and brain expression of human Cx36 gene.''; PubMedEurope PMCScholia
Maes M, Decrock E, Cogliati B, Oliveira AG, Marques PE, Dagli ML, Menezes GB, Mennecier G, Leybaert L, Vanhaecke T, Rogiers V, Vinken M.; ''Connexin and pannexin (hemi)channels in the liver.''; PubMedEurope PMCScholia
In this electrical synapse the current generated in the presynaptic cell spreads to the postsynaptic cell through an ion channel composed of two hemi-channels composed of six Pannexin 1 proteins on one hemi-channel and six Pannexin 2 proteins on the second.
In this electrical synapse the current generated in the presynaptic cell spreads to the postsynaptic cell through an ion channel composed of two hemi-channels composed of six Connexin 36 proteins each.
In this electrical synapse the current generated in the presynaptic cell spreads to the postsynaptic cell through an ion channel composed of two hemi-channels composed of six Connexin 45 proteins on one hemi-channel and six Connexin 36 proteins on the second.
In this electrical synapse the current generated in the presynaptic cell spreads to the postsynaptic cell through an ion channel composed of two hemi-channels composed of six Connexin 62 proteins each.
Original Pathway at Reactome: http://www.reactome.org/PathwayBrowser/#DB=gk_current&FOCUS_SPECIES_ID=48887&FOCUS_PATHWAY_ID=112307
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