Analysis of the selectivity filter of the voltage-gated sodium channel Na(v)Rh.

ABSTRACT: NaChBac is a bacterial voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channel that shows sequence similarity to voltage-gated calcium channels. To understand the ion-permeation mechanism of Nav channels, we combined molecular dynamics simulation, structural biology and electrophysiological approaches to investigate the recently determined structure of NavRh, a marine bacterial NaChBac ortholog. Two Na(+) binding sites are identified in the selectivity filter (SF) in our simulations: The extracellular Na(+) ion first approaches site 1 constituted by the side groups of Ser181 and Glu183, and then spontaneously arrives at the energetically more favorable site 2 formed by the carbonyl oxygens of Leu179 and Thr178. In contrast, Ca(2+) ions are prone to being trapped by Glu183 at site 1, which then blocks the entra

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3587708 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature