Molecular Mechanisms of Sodium Channel Sorting in Neurons

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Nerve cell activity depends on various ions crossing the cell membrane through channels that are sometimes very specific. These channels are formed by protein molecules in the membrane. Nerve cells often have a long process, the axon which extends from the cell body known as the soma. Often channels in the axon are distributed differently from those in the soma. This research addresses the question of how different proteins, which are continuously synthesized in the soma of nerve cells, are spatially distributed. This project will examine the molecular mechanisms of sorting sodium channel proteins in nerve cells. Sodium channel proteins are synthesized in the soma, but are found in the membrane of the axon and are absent in the soma. In the squid, an invertebrate, mRNA coding from rat sodium channels will be injected into the soma. As a result the cells will synthesize two different types of sodium channels making it possible to compare the spatial distribution of the two protein molecules. The part of the molecule responsible for its peculiar spatial distribution can be changed by changing the coding and thus is able to be identified. This study will advance our understanding of long-term regulation of how nerve cells function.