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Related Concept Videos

Resting Potential Decay01:15

Resting Potential Decay

The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.
Regulation of Sodium and Potassium01:26

Regulation of Sodium and Potassium

The regulation of sodium and potassium ion concentrations in the human body is a complex process governed primarily by hormones such as aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).
Sodium Regulation
Sodium ions make up approximately 90% of extracellular cations, with a normal blood plasma concentration of 136–148 mEq/L. A decrease in blood volume and pressure triggers the release of renin from granular cells in the juxtaglomerular complex (JGC), primarily in...
Leaky Scanning02:28

Leaky Scanning

During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA.  Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R stands for...
Reabsorption and Secretion in the Loop of Henle01:17

Reabsorption and Secretion in the Loop of Henle

The thick ascending limb of the nephron loop has Na+–K+–2Cl− symporters in the apical membranes of its cells. These symporters simultaneously reclaim one sodium ion, one potassium ion, and two chloride ions from the tubular fluid. Sodium ions are actively transported into the interstitial fluid at the base and sides of the cell, diffusing into the vasa recta. Chloride ions move through leakage channels in the basolateral membrane into the interstitial fluid and then into the vasa recta.
Patch Clamp01:18

Patch Clamp

Many fundamental cell functions such as muscle contraction and nerve transmission rely on the electrical signals produced by the movement of positively and negatively charged ions across the cell membrane. One competent method to record current flowing across the whole cell or single ion channel is the patch-clamp technique.
In this method, a glass micropipette containing electrolyte solution is tightly sealed against a small portion of the cell membrane. As a result, a patch of the cell...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Demonstration of Proteolytic Activation of the Epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC) by Combining Current Measurements with Detection of Cleavage Fragments
08:56

Demonstration of Proteolytic Activation of the Epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC) by Combining Current Measurements with Detection of Cleavage Fragments

Published on: July 5, 2014

The sodium "leak" has finally been plugged.

Terrance P Snutch1, Arnaud Monteil

  • 1Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4. snutch@msl.ubc.ca

Neuron
|May 25, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Neurons utilize leak currents to regulate resting membrane potentials. A recent study identified the voltage-insensitive sodium leak conductance, encoded by the third branch of voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels, confirming its crucial role.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Electrophysiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Leak currents are often overlooked but play a vital role in neuronal function.
  • Neurons use these conductances to control their resting membrane potentials.
  • The specific channels responsible for voltage-insensitive sodium leak currents remained unidentified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the molecular identity of the voltage-insensitive sodium leak conductance.
  • To confirm the role of specific ion channels in neuronal resting potential regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized electrophysiological recordings in neurons.
  • Employed molecular biology techniques to investigate ion channel function.
  • Analyzed the contribution of the third branch of voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed that the third branch of the voltage-gated sodium and calcium channel family encodes the long-sought voltage-insensitive sodium leak conductance.
  • Demonstrated the critical role of this conductance in maintaining neuronal resting membrane potentials.
  • Challenged the general perception of leak currents as functionally insignificant.

Conclusions:

  • The voltage-insensitive sodium leak conductance is a key functional mechanism in neurons.
  • The third branch of voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels is responsible for this critical conductance.
  • This finding advances our understanding of neuronal excitability and membrane potential regulation.