Anti-Connexin 43 Antibody

Connexin 43 (Cx43), encoded by the GJA1 gene, is the most abundant gap junction channel protein in vertebrates. Each Cx43 subunit spans the plasma membrane four times, and six connexins oligomerize into a connexon hemichannel; two apposing connexons dock between neighboring cells to form a conduit that exchanges ions, second messengers, and small metabolites up to roughly 1 kDa.

This polyclonal reagent from Antibodies.com was raised in rabbit against Connexin 43 and is supplied as 100 µL of unconjugated antiserum used in western blot (WB), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunofluorescence (IF) workflows. It has been validated on Human, Mouse, and Rat samples, supporting studies of cardiac intercalated discs, astrocyte coupling in the central nervous system, epithelial wound repair, and tumor biology where gap junction communication is frequently dysregulated.

Cx43 is regulated by phosphorylation on multiple serine, tyrosine, and threonine residues, which changes channel assembly, gating, and internalization. Researchers commonly probe phospho-specific shifts on western blots and use immunofluorescence to map plaque size at cell borders. A characteristic band migrates near 43 kDa, while additional lower bands can appear depending on tissue and post-translational modification state. The unconjugated format allows flexible pairing with HRP, biotin, Alexa Fluor, or other secondary reagents of the user's choice. For short-term use, aliquot and store the antiserum refrigerated, and protect from light to preserve activity; avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.