Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

Nature Research, Nature Communications, 1(14), 2023

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43347-3

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Voltage sensors of a Na+ channel dissociate from the pore domain and form inter-channel dimers in the resting state

Journal article published in 2023 by Ayumi Sumino ORCID, Takashi Sumikama ORCID, Mikihiro Shibata ORCID, Katsumasa Irie ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

AbstractUnderstanding voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels is significant since they generate action potential. Nav channels consist of a pore domain (PD) and a voltage sensor domain (VSD). All resolved Nav structures in different gating states have VSDs that tightly interact with PDs; however, it is unclear whether VSDs attach to PDs during gating under physiological conditions. Here, we reconstituted three different voltage-dependent NavAb, which is cloned from Arcobacter butzleri, into a lipid membrane and observed their structural dynamics by high-speed atomic force microscopy on a sub-second timescale in the steady state. Surprisingly, VSDs dissociated from PDs in the mutant in the resting state and further dimerized to form cross-links between channels. This dimerization would occur at a realistic channel density, offering a potential explanation for the facilitation of positive cooperativity of channel activity in the rising phase of the action potential.