title: Subunit stoichiometry of the epithelial sodium channel.
abstract: The epithelial Na+ Channel (ENaC) mediates Na+ reabsorption in a variety of epithelial tissues. ENaC is composed of three homologous subunits, termed alpha, beta, and gamma. All three subunits participate in channel formation as the absence of any one subunit results in a significant reduction or complete abrogation of Na+ current expression in Xenopus oocytes. To determine the subunit stoichiometry, a biophysical assay was employed utilizing mutant subunits that display significant differences in sensitivity to channel blockers from the wild type channel. Our results indicate that ENaC is a tetrameric channel with an alpha2 beta gamma stoichiometry, similar to that reported for other cation selective channels, such as Kv, Kir, as well as voltage-gated Na+ and Ca2+ channels that have 4-fold internal symmetry.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of Pennsylvania and Veterans Administration Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kosari
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Foskett
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kleyman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D016296:Mutagenesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015222:Sodium Channels