High-resolution structures of human and insect voltage-gated sodium channels provide insight into the molecular basis of sodium ion permeation and a path toward structure-based drug discovery.
The determination of the high-resolution structure of human and insect voltage-gated sodium channels provides insights into sodium ion permeation and a path toward structure-based drug discovery.
Structures of voltage-gated sodium channels In “excitable” cells, like neurons and muscle cells, a difference in electrical potential is used to transmit signals across the cell membrane. This difference is regulated by opening or closing ion channels in the cell membrane. For example, mutations in human voltage-gated sodium (Na v ) channels are associated with disorders such as chronic pain, epilepsy, and cardiac arrhythmia. Pan et al. report the high-resolution structure of a human Na v channel, and Shen et al. report the structures of an insect Na v channel bound to the toxins that cause pufferfish and shellfish poisoning in humans. Together, the structures give insight into the molecular basis of sodium ion permeation and provide a path toward structure-based drug discovery. Science , this issue p. eaau2486 , p. eaau2596
Pan et al. (Thu,) reported a other. High-resolution structures of human and insect voltage-gated sodium channels provide insight into the molecular basis of sodium ion permeation and a path toward structure-based drug discovery.