title: Molecular diversity of voltage-gated sodium channel alpha and beta subunit mRNAs in human tissues.
abstract: Voltage-gated Na+ channels are composed of one alpha subunit and one or more auxiliary beta subunits. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay was used to analyse the expression of the nine known alpha subunits (Na(v)1.1-Na(v)1.9) in 20 different human tissues. The mRNA expression of the currently known beta subunits (beta1, beta2, beta3 and beta4) was also assessed. The mRNAs of voltage-gated Na+ channel alpha and beta subunits were found in a wide variety of human tissues assayed and were present in neuronal and non-neuronal types of cells. These data suggest that, in addition to its well-established role in skeletal muscle, cardiac cells and neurons, voltage-gated Na+ channels might play important, still undetermined local roles in the regulation of cellular functions. These channels could emerge in the next future as potential, new therapeutic targets in the treatment of visceral diseases.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Luz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Candenas
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seda
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noheda
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Buschmann
authors.forename: Cristina G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Cintado
authors.forename: Julio D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D062550:NAV1.1 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D062550:NAV1.1 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C568242:SCN1A protein, human; D015222:Sodium Channels