GJA1 and brain ischemia: Mice with a C-terminal-truncation in the Cx43 coding region show more vulnerability to brain ischemia, however, as astrocytic gap junction and hemichannel functions are partially disrupted as well in these mice, a neuroprotective role of the carboxyl-terminal fragment of Cx43, independent of its impact in channel functions, cannot be confirmed (Kozoriz et al., 2010).