Role of ion channels in nerve conduction
Ion channels are large proteins which form pores through the neuronal membrane. The precise structure and function of the ion channels depend on their physiological function and distribution along the dendrites and cell body. These include specialized neurotransmitter-sensitive receptor channels. In addition, some ion channels are activated by specific metal ions such as sodium or calcium. The structure of the voltage-dependent sodium channel has been shown to consist of a complex protein with both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic domain, the former domain occurring within the neuronal membrane while the latter domain occurs both inside and outside the neuronal membrane. Four regions containing the hydrophilic units are arranged in the membrane in the form of a pore, with two units forming the remaining sides of the pore. This allows the sodium ions to pass in a regulated manner as the diameter of the pore, and the electrical charges on the amino acids which comprise the proteins lining the pore, determine the selectivity of the ion channel for sodium. Advances in molecular biology have shown that the DNA sequences which code for the proteins that make up the ion channels can enable the protein structure to be modified by point mutations. By changing the structure of the protein by even a single amino acid it is now apparent that the properties of the ion channel also change resulting, for example, in the opening and closing of the channel for longer or shorter periods of time or in carrying larger or smaller currents. As a consequence of molecular biological studies, it is now recognized that most ion channels of importance in neurotransmission are composed of three to five protein subunits. Their identification and characterization have now made it possible to map their location on specific neurons and to correlate their location with their specific function .
Ion channels are large proteins which form pores through the neuronal membrane. The precise structure and function of the ion channels depend on their physiological function and distribution along the dendrites and cell body. These include specialized neurotransmitter-sensitive receptor channels. In addition, some ion channels are activated by specific metal ions such as sodium or calcium. The structure of the voltage-dependent sodium channel has been shown to consist of a complex protein with both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic domain, the former domain occurring within the neuronal membrane while the latter domain occurs both inside and outside the neuronal membrane. Four regions containing the hydrophilic units are arranged in the membrane in the form of a pore, with two units forming the remaining sides of the pore. This allows the sodium ions to pass in a regulated manner as the diameter of the pore, and the electrical charges on the amino acids which comprise the proteins lining the pore, determine the selectivity of the ion channel for sodium. Advances in molecular biology have shown that the DNA sequences which code for the proteins that make up the ion channels can enable the protein structure to be modified by point mutations. By changing the structure of the protein by even a single amino acid it is now apparent that the properties of the ion channel also change resulting, for example, in the opening and closing of the channel for longer or shorter periods of time or in carrying larger or smaller currents. As a consequence of molecular biological studies, it is now recognized that most ion channels of importance in neurotransmission are composed of three to five protein subunits. Their identification and characterization have now made it possible to map their location on specific neurons and to correlate their location with their specific function .
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