Communication between cells via intercellular channels - gap junctions - appears essential to certain developmental processes and appropriate organ function. Gap Junctions in Development and Disease aims to describe the molecular events underlying impaired development and disease. Beginning with a comprehensive review of various mouse and human genes encoding the channel-forming connexins, later chapters describe several connexin mutations associated with human diseases such as hereditary deafness and female infertility. Erroneous signaling mediated by the interaction of mutant connexins with other proteins, thought to be responsible for dysfunction of organs such as heart, muscle, brain, skin, lens, placenta, and endocrine tissue in both mice and men, is also addressed.

Although the question of why some mutations in gap-junction proteins lead to specific phenotypes remains to be answered, the reviews in this book provide an intriguing insight into the future direction of this research field.

1 Connexin and Pannexin Genes in the Mouse and Human Genome Klaus Willecke, Jürgen Eiberger and Julia von Maltzahn 2 Essential Role of Gap Junctions during Development and Regeneration of Skeletal Muscle Julia von Maltzahn and Klaus Willecke 3 Connexins in Cardiac Development: Expression, Role, and Transcriptional Control Daniel B. Gros, S. Alcoléa, L. Dupays, S. Meysen, L. Miquerol, M. Théveniau-Ruissy, BEJ Teunissen, MFA Bierhuizen 4 Gap Junction and Connexin Remodelling in Human Heart Disease Nicholas J. Severs, Emmanuel Dupont, Riyaz Kaba and Neil Thomas 5 Gap Junction Expression in Brain Tissues with Focus on Development Rolf Dermietzel and Carola Meier 6 Connexins Responsible for Hereditary Deafness - The Tale Unfolds Martine Cohen-Salmon, Francisco J. del Castillo, and Christine Petit 7 Human Connexins in Skin Development and Skin Disorders Gabriele Richard 8 Intercellular Communication in Lens Development and Disease Adam M. DeRosa, Francisco J. Martinez-Wittinghan, Richard T. Mathias, Thomas W. White 9 Connexin Modulators of Endocrine Function Philippe Klee, Nathalie Boucard, Dorothée Caille, José Cancela, Anne Charollais, Eric Charpantier, Laetitia Michon, Céline Populaire, Manon Peyrou, Rachel Nlend Nlend, Laurence Zulianello, Jacques-Antoine Haefliger, and Paolo Meda 10 Roles of Gap Junctions in Ovarian Folliculogenesis: Implications for Female Infertility Gerald M. Kidder 11 Placental Connexins of Mice and Men Caroline Dunk, Mark Kibschull, Alexandra Gellhaus, Elke Winterhager and Stephen Lye 12 Connexins in Growth Control and Cancer Christian C. Naus, Gary S. Goldberg and Wun Chey Sin