The conformational cycle of a prototypical voltage-gated sodium channel.

ABSTRACT: Electrical signaling was a dramatic development in evolution, allowing complex single-cell organisms like Paramecium to coordinate movement and early metazoans like worms and jellyfish to send regulatory signals rapidly over increasing distances. But how are electrical signals generated in biology? In fact, voltage-gated sodium channels conduct sodium currents that initiate electrical signals in all kingdoms of life, from bacteria to man. They are responsible for generating the action potential in vertebrate nerve and muscle, neuroendocrine cells, and other cell types^1,2. Because of the high level of conservation of their core structure, it is likely that their fundamental mechanisms of action are conserved as well. Here we describe the complete cycle of conformational changes t

SUBMITTER: Catterall WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7678813 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature