PMID: 30765606

Authors:

Shen H, Liu D, Wu K, Lei J, Yan N

Title:

Structures of human Nav1.7 channel in complex with auxiliary subunits and animal toxins.

Journal:

Science. 2019 Feb 14. pii: science.aaw2493. doi: 10.1126/science.aaw2493.

Abstract:

Voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 represents a promising target for pain relief. Here we report the cryo-EM structures of the human Nav1.7-beta1-beta2 complex bound to two combinations of pore blockers and gating modifier toxins (GMTs), tetrodotoxin with Protoxin-II and saxitoxin with Huwentoxin-IV, both determined at overall resolutions of 3.2 A. The two structures are nearly identical except for minor shifts of VSDII, whose S3-S4 linker accommodates the two GMTs in a similar manner. One additional Protoxin-II sits on top of the S3-S4 linker in VSDIV The structures may represent an inactivated state with all four VSDs "up" and the intracellular gate closed. The structures illuminate the path toward mechanistic understanding of the function and disease of Nav1.7 and establish the foundation for structure-aided development of analgesics.