Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques
Published on: September 27, 2011
Regulation of NaV1.5 Sodium Channels by Small G-Proteins of the Rho Family in a Heterologous Expression System
D V Abramochkin1,2, K B Pustovit3,4, A S Bilichenko4
1Department of Human and Animal Physiology, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. abram340@mail.ru.
Abstract:
The effect of small G-proteins of the Rho family on sodium current conducted by cardiac isoform NaV1.5 of voltage-gated sodium channels was studied in heterologous expression system, CHO-K1 cell line transfected with a plasmid containing the NaV1.5 gene. The influence of cotransfection with genes of wild-type, constitutively-active, and dominant-negative small G-proteins RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc2 on the parameters of sodium current and its noninactivating component (INa,late) was estimated. Among three studied small G-proteins, only RhoA (wild-type and constitutively-active type) strongly affected sodium current reducing its peak amplitude, but not the value of INa,late. Cotransfection with wild-type Rac1 resulted in a minor decrease in sodium current. Thus, small G-protein RhoA has potential capability for suppression of sodium current, although physiological relevance of this property has to be verified.
Related Concept Videos
G-protein Coupled Receptors
Cell Polarization by Rho Proteins
Small GTPases - Ras and Rho
Three regulatory proteins control their activity:
Allosteric Regulation
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory...
Activation and Inactivation of G Proteins

