Structure of a eukaryotic voltage-gated sodium channel at near-atomic resolution

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aal4326
• Publication Date: 2017-02-10T02:10:33Z
• Authors: Huaizong Shen; Qiang Zhou; Xiaojing Pan; Zhangqiang Li; Jianping Wu; Nieng Yan
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; Glycosylation; Models, Chemical; Protein Domains; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Animals; Periplaneta; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels; Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel alpha Subunits; Conserved Sequence

Navigating regulated cell excitation

Voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels respond to a change in voltage potential by allowing sodium ions to move into cells, thus initiating electrical signaling. Mutations in Na v channels cause neurological and cardiovascular disorders, making the channels important therapeutic targets. Shen et al. determined a high-resolution structure of a Na v channel from the American cockroach by electron microscopy. The structure affords insight into voltage sensing and ion permeability and provides a foundation for understanding function and disease mechanism of Na v and the related Ca v ion channels.

Science , this issue p. eaal4326