Connexin-Mediated Neuroglial Gap Junction Communication: Unravelling Its Significance in Brain Health and Ageing

A multicellular organism’s ability to survive and function properly depends on its brain healthBrain health. The brain comprises various neuroglial cells, which communicate through gap junctionsGap Junctions (GJ) and create a pan neuroglial syncytium necessary for various controlled and coordinated CNSCentral Nervous System (CNS) functions. GJ, the specialized channels present on the cell surface, help to preserve homeostasis and exchange of ions, secondary messengers, and metabolites (< 1KD). Connexins, the major component protein of GJ, have various isoforms that follow different expression patterns in neuroglial cells based on cell type. Several reports suggest alterations of Connexin-mediated GJ communications in age-related neurodegenerative disordersNeurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Currently, ageingAgeing is a major public health concern causing physiological and mental healthMental health deterioration. The ageingAgeing etiology is often linked with neurodegenerationNeurodegeneration, and virusViruses-induced neuroinflammationNeuroinflammation can be one of the causative factors leading to this multifactorial condition, which can alter Connexin-mediated GJ communication. Still, it is unclear how Connexin-mediated gap junctionsGap Junctions and hemichannels contribute to the pathophysiology of ageingAgeing and neurodegenerative disordersNeurodegenerative disorders in the context of neuro-viral inflammation. In this chapter, we have discussed various GJs, emphasized the role of Cx-mediated gap junctionGap Junctions communications in brain healthBrain health, and highlighted its dysfunctional communications associated with virusViruses-induced neuroinflammationNeuroinflammation, neurodegenerationNeurodegeneration, and brain ageingBrain ageing.