Structural and functional analysis of sodium channels viewed from an evolutionary perspective

Abstract

Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate and propagate action potentials in excitable cells. They respond to membrane depolarization through opening, followed by fast inactivation that terminates the sodium current. This ON-OFF behavior of voltage-gated sodium channels underlays the coding of information and its transmission from one location in the nervous system to another. In this review, we explore and compare structural aZhou Y, Morais-Cabral JH, Kaufmanon.