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. Connexin proteins share a common topology of four transmembrane α-helical domains, two extracellular loops, a cytoplasmic loop and cytoplasmic N- and C-termini. Consequently, a wide variety of malignant phenotypes associate with decreased connexin expression and gap junction communication, dependent on the particular connexin that is affected.
