title: Computer simulation of synchronization of Na/K pump molecules.
abstract: The behavior of Na/K pump currents when exposed to an oscillating electric field is studied by computer simulation. The pump current from a single pump molecule was sketched based on previous experimental results. The oscillating electric field is designed as a symmetric, dichotomous waveform varying the membrane potential from -30 to -150 mV around the membrane resting potential of -90 mV. Based on experimental results from skeletal muscle fibers, the energy needed to overcome the electrochemical potentials for the Na and K-transports are calculated in response to the field's two half-cycles. We found that a specially designed oscillating electric field can eventually synchronize the pump molecules so that all the individual pumps run at the same pumping rate and phase as the field oscillation. They extrude Na ions during the positive half-cycle and pump in K ions during the negative half-cycle. The field can force the two ion-transports into the corresponding half-cycles, respectively, but cannot determine their detailed positions. In other words, the oscillating electric field can synchronize pumps in terms of their pumping loops but not at a specific step in the loop. These results are consistent with our experimental results in measurement of the pump currents.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. weichen@cas.usf.edu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Feiran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011188:Potassium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012964:Sodium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D011188:Potassium