Frontiers in pharmacology
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Front Pharmacol
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2011
Na Channel β Subunits: Overachievers of the Ion Channel Family.
Voltage-gated Na(+) channels (VGSCs) in mammals contain a pore-forming α subunit and one or more β subunits. There are five mammalian β subunits in total: β1, β1B, β2, β3, and β4, encoded by four genes: SCN1B-SCN4B. With the exception of the SCN1B splice variant, β1B, the β subunits are type I topology transmembrane proteins. ⋯ Importantly, some β subunit functions may operate independently of α subunits. Thus, β subunits perform critical roles during development and disease. As such, they may prove useful in disease diagnosis and therapy.