title: Na+/H+ exchanger: proton modifier site regulation of activity.
abstract: The Na+/H+ exchangers (NHE1-6) are integral plasma membrane proteins that catalyze the exchange of extracellular Na+ for intracellular H+. In addition to Na+ and H+ transport sites, NHE has an intracellular allosteric H+ modifier site that increases exchange activity when occupied by H+. NHE activity is also subject to control by a variety of extrinsic factors including hormones, growth factors, cytokines, and pharmacological agents. Many of these factors, working through second messenger pathways acting directly or indirectly on NHE, regulate NHE activity by shifting the apparent affinity of the H+ modifier site to more alkaline or more acid pH. The underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the activation of NHE by the H+ modifier site are poorly understood at this time, but likely involve slow protein conformational changes within a NHE oligomer. In this paper, we present initial experiments measuring intracellular pH-dependent transition rates between active and inactive oligomeric conformations and describe how these transition rates may be important for overall regulation of NHE activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, Gerontology Research Center, NIA, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. kinsellj@grc.nia.nih.gov
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kinsella
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Froehlich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008954:Models, Biological; D000074083:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchanger 3; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000074083:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchanger 3; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers