| 摘要 |
<p>A DNA sequence encoding a tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel α-subunit protein from dog nodose ganglion (NG), referred to herein as NaNG, with an open-reading frame of 5,886 nucleotides encoding a protein of 1,962 amino acids, has been isolated. Northern hybridization and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) show that it is only expressed in nodose ganglia, not in cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, liver, heart or skeletal muscle. The cDNA and encoded proteins are useful in this study of pain and screening for compounds modulating pain. The channel is unusual in being expressed specifically in nodose ganglia and therefore represents a unique target for compounds involved in regulations of pain. Compounds can be screened for binding in vitro, alterations of sodium passage through the channel in vitro, or in vivo, using standard techniques to screen for local anesthetics and 'pain killers'.</p> |
