Na+-K+ channel pumps

The Na⁺/K⁺ pumps are found in the neuronal plasma membrane and are a type of primary active transporter._1 The role of the Na⁺/K⁺ pump is to maintain the electrochemical gradient of Na⁺ and K^+. The Na⁺/K⁺ pumps are a type of ATPase they use the energy produced from the spliting of the ATP via hydrolysis to actively transport Na⁺ out of the axon and pump K+ into the axon. The Na⁺/K⁺ pump is a carrier protein, thus requires a change in conformation in order to move the ions across the membrane, for every 3 Na⁺ pumped out there are 2 K⁺ that have been pumped in. The Na/K+ pumps establish a resting potential of -70mv, this is a negative voltage as the outside of the cell is more positive than commpared with the inside of the cell. The Na+/K+ pump is described as being electrogenic as it creates a change in electrical potential within the cell. _2

How An Na+/K+ Pump Works

The Na+/K+ pump has two different conformational states known as E1 and E2. Three Na+ bind to the intracllular binding site, the phosphorlyation of the pump using the ATP causes the conformational change within the pump. The pump is now in conformational state E2, the 3 Na+ are released outside of the cell._3 The binding of the 2 K+ to the extracellular surface results in the dephosphorylation of the pump returning the configuration back to E1, once in the E1 conformation the 2K+ are released into the cell.