Abstract:
Neuronal excitability is mediated mainly by voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), which include voltage-gated Na+, K+, and Cl− channels located along the axon and at neuronal synapses. Voltage-gated channels play pivotal roles in the proper functioning of the nervous system because they set the resting membrane potential, initiate and propagate action potentials, and regulate neurotransmitter release. The abnormal activity or misregulation of VGICs caused by mutations has been directly linked to neurological and cardiac diseases. Among other posttranslational modifications, the ubiquitination of VGICs is a key to the regulation of the number of channels in the cell surface, and hence, neuronal excitability. Nedd4-2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitinates several proteins, including different VGICs. Accordingly, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying channel regulation will provide insights to design drugs to treat illnesses. The focus of the present review is to provide an update about the regulation of VGICs upon ubiquitination by Nedd4-2 and the relevance of such regulation in the pathophysiological consequences of dysfunction.
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Acknowledgments
The work in my laboratory has been supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Grant BFU2008-00162, by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Grants BFU2011-22898 and BFU2014-51846-R, and within the VII European Community Framework Programme by a Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant and by the PAINCAGE integrative project.
Disclosure
The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.