Localization of Nav1.5 sodium channel protein in the mouse brain

Nav1.5 or SCN5A is a member of the voltage-dependent family of sodium channels. The distribution of Nav1.5 protein was investigated in the mouse brain using immunohistochemistry. Immunostaining with a Nav1.5-specific antibody revealed that Nav1.5 protein was localized in certain distinct regions of brain including the cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, cerebellum and brain stem. Notably, we found that Nav1.5 protein co-localized with neurofilaments and clustered at a high density in the neuronal processes, mainly axons. These results suggest that Nav1.5 protein may play a role in the physiology of the central nervous system (generation and propagation of electrical signals by axons).

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