Structural component of gap junctions (PubMed:10381394, PubMed:33238150). Plays a role in maintaining gap junction activity to promote phayngeal muscle contraction (PubMed:33238150). Interacts with F-actin. Partially co-localizes with F-actin at gap junctions between EA and EP endodermal precursor cells in embryos. Evenly distributed along the adjoining membranes of the two pm5 pharyngeal muscle cells. Expressed during embryogenesis (PubMed:33238150). Expressed in EA and EP endodermal precursor cells at the 16-24 cell stage of embryogenesis (PubMed:33238150). RNAi-mediated knockdown impairs gap junction function in pharyngeal muscles which disrupts the synchronized muscle contraction between the pharyngeal metacorpus and terminal bulbs and thereby decreases the pharyngeal pumping rate. Belongs to the pannexin family.