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DEG/ENaC channels: A touchy superfamily that watches its salt
Author(s) -
Mano Itzhak,
Driscoll Monica
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-1878(199907)21:7<568::aid-bies5>3.0.co;2-l
Subject(s) - epithelial sodium channel , mechanosensation , superfamily , ion channel , acid sensing ion channel , biology , extracellular , microbiology and biotechnology , transmembrane protein , amiloride , gating , caenorhabditis elegans , genetics , chemistry , biophysics , gene , receptor , organic chemistry , sodium
To the surprise of many, studies of molecular mechanisms of touch transduction and analyses of epithelial Na + transport have converged to define a new class of ion channel subunits. Based on the names of the first two identified subfamilies, the Caenorhabditis elegans degenerins and the vertebrate epithelial amiloride‐sensitive Na + channel, this ion channel class is called the DEG/ENaC superfamily. Members of the DEG/ENaC superfamily have been found in nematodes, flies, snails, and vertebrates. Family members share common topology, such that they span the membrane twice and have intracellular N‐ and C‐termini; a large extracellular loop includes a conserved cysteine‐rich region. DEG/ENaC channels have been implicated a broad spectrum of cellular functions, including mechanosensation, proprioception, pain sensation, gametogenesis, and epithelial Na + transport. These channels exhibit diverse gating properties, ranging from near constitutive opening to rapid inactivation. We discuss working understanding of DEG/ENaC functions, channel properties, structure/activity correlations and possible evolutionary relationship to other channel classes. BioEssays 21:568–578, 1999. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.