{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]],"date-time":"2025-10-27T20:49:50Z","timestamp":1761598190671,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,7]],"date-time":"2020-04-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1586217600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100011929","name":"Programa Operacional Tem\u00e1tico Factores de Competitividade","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PAC \"NETDIAMOND\" POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016385","HealthyAging2020 CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012-N2323","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440","CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-032179","CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-032414","FCTUID\/NEU\/04539\/2013","UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PAC \"NETDIAMOND\" POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016385","HealthyAging2020 CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012-N2323","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440","CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-032179","CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-032414","FCTUID\/NEU\/04539\/2013","UID\/NEU\/04539\/2019"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100011929","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000921","name":"European Cooperation in Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PROTEOSTASIS BM1307","Action BM1307-39607"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PROTEOSTASIS BM1307","Action BM1307-39607"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000921","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PD\/BD\/52294\/2013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PD\/BD\/52294\/2013"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001822","name":"\u00d6sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["DOC Fellowship"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["DOC Fellowship"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001822","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cells"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Gap junctions (GJ) are specialized cell-cell contacts formed by connexins (Cxs), which provide direct communication between adjacent cells. Cx43 ubiquitination has been suggested to induce the internalization of GJs, as well as the recruitment of the autophagy receptor p62 to mediate binding to LC3B and degradation by macroautophagy. In this report, we describe a functional LC3 interacting region (LIR), present in the amino terminal of most Cx protein family members, which can mediate the autophagy degradation of Cx43 without the need of ubiquitin. Mutation of the LIR motif on Cx37, Cx43, Cx46 and Cx50 impairs interaction with LC3B and GABARAP without compromising protein ubiquitination. Through in vitro protein-protein interaction assays, we demonstrate that this LIR motif is required for the binding of Cx43 to LC3B and GABARAP. Overall, our findings describe an alternative mechanism whereby Cxs interact with LC3\/GABARAP proteins, envisioning a new model for the autophagy degradation of connexins.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cells9040902","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,8]],"date-time":"2020-04-08T05:59:47Z","timestamp":1586325587000},"page":"902","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["A Conserved LIR Motif in Connexins Mediates Ubiquitin-Independent Binding to LC3\/GABARAP Proteins"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9644-6960","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Steve","family":"Catarino","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5169-6090","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teresa M","family":"Ribeiro-Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"S\u00e1 Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Ramalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ci\u00eancias M\u00e9dicas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1150-082 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Christine","family":"Abert","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3786-8199","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sascha","family":"Martens","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5786-8447","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Henrique","family":"Gir\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Clinical Academic Centre of Coimbra (CACC), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1823","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbamem.2011.10.011","article-title":"Structural organization of intercellular channels II. 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