title: Structure and function of voltage-gated ion channels.
abstract: The principal subunits of the voltage-gated Na+, Ca2+ and K+ channels are members of a related gene family and are functionally autonomous in voltage-dependent activation, ion conductance and inactivation. In this article, recent work locating the structural elements that are responsible for these three basic functions of the voltage-gated ion channels is reviewed. These studies reveal strong functional analogies among the different ion channels and suggest that the striking differences in their properties arise as variations on a common structural and functional theme.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Catterall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels