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Sodium Channels

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Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience

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Synonyms

Na+ channels; Voltage-gated Na+ channels

Definition

Sodium channels are proteins enchased in the cell membrane of both excitable and nonexcitable cells. They are in general composed of two different types of proteins, termed subunits, an alpha (α) and two beta (β) subunits. The arrangement of the α subunit across the cell’s membrane enables the formation of an aqueous tunnel termed channel linking the cells interior and the extracellular space. Changes in the transmembrane voltage govern channel gating. When the channel is open, almost exclusively sodium (Na+) ions flow through the channel (Fig. 1a). The Na+ ion flow through the channel can be blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX), a specific and widely used puffer fish toxin.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Structure and function of sodium channels. (a) Schematic representation of a sodium channel enchased in the plasmic membrane of a cell. When the membrane potential is close to rest, Na+ ions are flowing inside the cell due to the driving force of Na+ (Vm...

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  • Jack J, Noble D, Tsien R (1983) Electric current flow in excitable cells. Oxford University Press, Oxford

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GIGA-Neurosciences, University of Liege, Avenue de l’hopital, 1, B36 +1; Sart Tilman, Liege, 4000, Belgium

    Dr. Dominique Engel

Authors
  1. Dr. Dominique Engel
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Correspondence to Dominique Engel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Dieter Jaeger

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA

    Ranu Jung

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Engel, D. (2014). Sodium Channels. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_134-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_134-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7320-6

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