The sodium-potassium pump is a mechanism of active transport that moves potassium ions into and sodium ions out of a cell along a protein (or enzyme) channel. It is found in all human cells, but is especially important in nerve and muscle cells.
What is the sodium potassium pump is responsible for?
The sodium-potassium pump is integral in maintaining the acid-base balance as well as in healthy kidney function. This energy is used to remove acid from the body. The sodium-potassium pump also functions to maintain the electrical charge within the cell. This is particularly important to muscle and nerve cells.
Why is the sodium-potassium pump important?
The sodium potassium pump (Na-K pump) is important for the functioning of most cellular processes. The Na-K pump is a specialised transport protein found in the cell membrane. It is responsible for movement of potassium ions into the cells while simultaneously moving the sodium ions outside the cell. This is important for cell physiology.
What happens when the sodium potassium pump fails?
What happens when the sodium potassium pump fails? The inhibition of the Na/K pump will allow Na ions to accumulate in the cell, as K ion will fall. So if the Na/K pump was inhibited and stops working, then many functional problems will occur in the cell. Na ion concentration will accumulate within the cell and intracellular K ion concentration falls.
Is sodium potassium pump an action potential?
This unbalanced charge transfer contributes to the separation of charge across the membrane. The sodium-potassium pump is an important contributer to action potentialproduced by nerve cells. This pump is called a P-type ion pump because the ATP interactions phosphorylates the transport protein and causes a change in its conformation.
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What is Sodium Potassium Atpase?
Sodium potassium pump or Na K ATPase is a protein-based enzyme present in the cell membrane of the animals that manages and controls the concentration of sodium and potassium inside the cell. The full name of this electrogenic transmembrane ATPase is Sodium Potassium Adenosine Triphosphate.
Mechanism of Sodium Potassium Pump
As per the structure of this electrogenic transmembrane ATPase, it has more affinity towards Na+. This is why it binds with 3 Na+ ions inside the cell. Due to phosphorylation, ADP is released and a change occurs in the pump. This change exposes Na+ ions in the extracellular space. ADP has more affinity towards K+ ions.
Functions of Sodium Potassium Pump
As per cell physiology, the sodium potassium pump is of four different types in mammals. They all are isoforms but have unique tissue expressions and properties. The entire family is a part of P-Type ATPase. Here is a list of the sodium potassium pump function in the animal cells.
How Can it be Used for Drug Administration?
The Na K ATPase function can be used for designing and administering drugs to human physiology. The definition and structure of these pumps differ. It means that specific drug molecules can be targeted to particular organs for the remedy of certain ailments.
Conclusion
From the above section, we learned that every animal cell has different types of Na K pumps that connect the intracellular and extracellular fluids. The osmotic regulation of a cell depends on these pumps.
What is the sodium potassium pump?
Sodium-potassium pump, in cellular physiology, a protein that has been identified in many cells that maintains the internal concentration of potassium ions [ K+] higher than that in the surrounding medium (blood, body fluid, water) and maintains the internal concentration of sodium ions [Na+] lower. Sodium-potassium pump, in cellular physiology, ...
Is the plasma membrane permeable to Na+?
Since the plasma membrane of the neuron is highly permeable to K+and slightly permeable to Na+, and since neither of these ions is in a state of equilibrium (Na+being at higher concentration outside the cell than inside and K+at higher…. renal system: The role of hormones in renal function. …by facilitating the reabsorption ...
What is the sodium potassium pump?
What Is the Sodium-Potassium Pump? The sodium-potassium pump is an essential cellular membrane protein that functions by pumping out three sodium ions and taking in two potassium ions.
Which molecule is the primary source of energy for sodium and potassium ions?
This process requires energy to move the sodium and potassium ions into and out of the cell. Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the high-energy carrying molecule that is the primary source of this requisite energy.
What happens to the ATP pump when it is hydrolyzed?
When ATP undergoes hydrolysis, the energy released from its bonds alters the shape and structure of the sodium-potassium pump, enabling the pump to move the sodium and potassium ions across cellular membranes.
What is the Sodium Potassium Pump?
The sodium-potassium pump (Na,K-ATPase) was discovered in 1957. It plays an important role in contracting the cardiac muscle, kidney function, and nerve signaling. The purpose of the sodium-potassium pump is to maintain the proper concentration of potassium ions K + and sodium ions Na + inside and outside of the cell.
Sodium Potassium Pump Importance
The job of the sodium-potassium pump is to regulate the concentration of Na + and K + on the inside and outside of the cell. Na,K-ATPase is important for the overall health of cells. The pump:
Sodium Potassium Pump Mechanism
Before we look at how Na,K-ATPase works, let's take a closer look at ATP. ATP is adenosine triphosphate. It is the molecule cells use for energy.
Overview
The sodium–potassium pump (sodium–potassium adenosine triphosphatase, also known as Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, Na⁺/K⁺ pump, or sodium–potassium ATPase) is an enzyme (an electrogenic transmembrane ATPase) found in the membrane of all animal cells. It performs several functions in cell physiology.
The Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase enzyme is active (i.e. it uses energy from ATP). For every A…
Function
The Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase helps maintain resting potential, affects transport, and regulates cellular volume. It also functions as a signal transducer/integrator to regulate the MAPK pathway, reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as intracellular calcium. In fact, all cells expend a large fraction of the ATP they produce (typically 30% and up to 70% in nerve cells) to maintain their required …
Mechanism
Looking at the process starting from the interior of the cell:
• The pump has a higher affinity for Na⁺ ions than K⁺ ions, thus after binding ATP, binds 3 intracellular Na⁺ ions.
• ATP is hydrolyzed, leading to phosphorylation of the pump at a highly conserved aspartate residue and subsequent release of ADP. This process leads to a conformational change in the pump.
Regulation
The Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase is upregulated by cAMP. Thus, substances causing an increase in cAMP upregulate the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase. These include the ligands of the Gs-coupled GPCRs. In contrast, substances causing a decrease in cAMP downregulate the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase. These include the ligands of the Gi-coupled GPCRs. Note: Early studies indicated the opposite effect, but these were later found to be inaccurate due to additional complicating factors.
Discovery
Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase was discovered by Jens Christian Skou in 1957 while working as assistant professor at the Department of Physiology, University of Aarhus, Denmark. He published his work that year.
In 1997, he received one-half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the first discovery of an ion-transporting enzyme, Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase."
Genes
• Alpha: ATP1A1ATP1A1, ATP1A2ATP1A2, ATP1A3ATP1A3, ATP1A4ATP1A4. #1 predominates in kidney. #2 is also known as "alpha(+)"
• Beta: ATP1B1ATP1B1, ATP1B2, ATP1B3ATP1B3, ATP1B4
In insects
Mutagenesis studies conducted by Susanne Dobler have identified the conserved M3-M4 hairpin and M5-M6 hairpins. At position 312, insects feeding on Apocynum species differed from mammalian Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase through the change of glutamic acid to aspartic acid. Thus, the insects were found to have a higher degree of conservation in the C-terminal of the ouabain binding pocket. Dobler et al. found 87% amino acid identity among insect sequences, which shows a hig…
See also
• Thyroid hormone
• V-ATPase
Structure
- The Na+-K+ pump is a P-type ATPase that resembles the H+-K+-ATPase and the sarco(endo) plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase in structure. The sodium-potassium pump is a transmembrane protein that is divided into three subunits. The 3 subunits are: 1. α-Subunit-It is the largest subunit that contains the binding sites for Na+, K+, and ATP. 2. β-Subunit-A single-spanning membrane …
Function
- The sodium-potassium pump is responsible for transporting ions into and out of cells. It contributes to the maintenance of a cell's resting potential both during and after stimulation. The cell mem...
- Many secondary active transporters (transport proteins in the membrane) are activated by Na export and are responsible for transporting amino acids, glucose, and other essential nutrients.
- The sodium-potassium pump is responsible for transporting ions into and out of cells. It contributes to the maintenance of a cell's resting potential both during and after stimulation. The cell mem...
- Many secondary active transporters (transport proteins in the membrane) are activated by Na export and are responsible for transporting amino acids, glucose, and other essential nutrients.
- The sodium-potassium pump maintains cellular osmolarity, which regulates cell volume. Osmosis regulates cell volume. This function maintains and controls the concentration of various nutrients and...
- Extracellular signaling is also carried out with the help of sodium-potassium ATPase.
Uses
- The function of the Na K ATPase can be used to design and administer medications to human physiology. It means that specific medication molecules can be directed to specific organs to treat specific diseases.
More About The Topic
- The tissues are made of characteristic cells that maintain their internal physiology in different ways. One of the most fascinating ways to maintain the concentration of potassium and sodium ions inside a cell is the sodium potassium pump. It is a protein present in many cells that maintain the Na-K balance between the cell and body fluids. In this section, we will discuss what the sodi…
What Is Sodium Potassium ATPase?
- Sodium potassium pump or Na K ATPase is a protein-based enzyme present in the cell membrane of the animals that manages and controls the concentration of sodium and potassium inside the cell. The full name of this electrogenic transmembrane ATPase is Sodium Potassium Adenosine Triphosphate. It has different functions in the cell physiology of animals. As per the sodium pota…
Mechanism of Sodium Potassium Pump
- As per the structure of this electrogenic transmembrane ATPase, it has more affinity towards Na+. This is why it binds with 3 Na+ions inside the cell. Due to phosphorylation, ADP is released and a change occurs in the pump. This change exposes Na+ions in the extracellular space. ADP has more affinity towards K+ions. When 2 K+ions are bound with the ADP, dephosphorylation oc…
Functions of Sodium Potassium Pump
- As per cell physiology, the sodium potassium pump is of four different types in mammals. They all are isoforms but have unique tissue expressions and properties. The entire family is a part of P-Type ATPase. Here is a list of the sodium potassium pump function in the animal cells. 1. Resting Potential:Sodium potassium pump transports ions in and out of the cells. It helps in maintaining …
How Can It Be Used For Drug Administration?
- The Na K ATPase function can be used for designing and administering drugs to human physiology. The definition and structure of these pumps differ. It means that specific drug molecules can be targeted to particular organs for the remedy of certain ailments. For instance, cardiac glycosides target the NA-K pump present in the cells of the heart muscles. Similarly, mu…
Conclusion
- From the above section, we learned that every animal cell has different types of Na K pumps that connect the intracellular and extracellular fluids. The osmotic regulation of a cell depends on these pumps. The sodium potassium pump ratio, as mentioned above, is the prime function of this protein enzyme present in the cell membrane of different animal cells. Its functions are quit…