Table 1 Presence (+) or absence (−) of connexins and pannexins in the main taxonomic groups of multicellular animals. Lack of both types of GJ was found in some taxonomic groups: Echinodermata (12 spicies), Hemichordata(2), Tardigrada(2), Nematomorpha(1), Onychophora(1)

Deuterostomia

Vertebrata

Homo sapiens

+

+

Tunicata

Ciona intestinalis

+

+

Cephalochordata

Branchiostoma lanceolatum

+

–

Echinodermata

Ophionereis fasciata

–

–

Patiriella regularis

–

–

Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

–

–

Apostichopus parvimensis

–

–

Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus

–

–

Ophiothrix spiculata

–

–

Apostichopus japonicus

–

–

Acanthaster planci

–

–

Eucidaris tribuloides

–

–

Lytechinus variegatus

–

–

Patiria miniata

–

–

Antedon mediterranea

–

–

Hemichordata

Ptychodera flava

–

–

Saccoglossus kowalevskii

–

–

Protostomia

Plathelminthes

Hymenolepis diminuta

+

–

Orthonectida

Intoshia linei

+

–

Annelida

Capitella teleta

+

–

Brachiopoda

Lingula anatina

+

–

Molluscs

Aplysia californica

+

–

Acanthocephala

Echinorhynchus gadi

+

–

Bryozoa

Membranipora membranacea

+

–

Cycliophora

Symbion pandora

+

–

Entoprocta

Loxosoma pectinaricola

+

–

Nematoda

Caenorhabditis elegans

+

–

Arthropoda

Drosophila melanogaster

+

–

Tardigrada

Hypsibius dujardini

–

–

Ramazzottius varieornatus

–

–

Nematomorpha

Paragordius varius

–

–

Onychophora

Euperipatoides rowelli

–

–

Ctenophora

Pleurobrachia bachei

+

–

Cnidaria

Hydra vulgaris

+

–