| Description: | NALCN (sodium leak channel non-selective protein), alsoknown as CanIon or VGCNL1 (voltage gated channel-like protein 1), is a 1738 amino acid multi-pass membrane protein that belongs to the cation-nonselective channel family. NALCN is highly conserved in mammals and is widely expressed in the central nervous system. Activated by NK-1R, NALCN is a voltage-independent, nonselective cation channel which is permeable to sodium, potassium and calcium ions. NALCN is responsible for background sodium ion leak conductance in neurons and regulates basal excitability of the nervous systems. Defects of NALCN in mice causes disruption in respiratory rhythm and death occurs within 24 hours of birth. Three isoforms of NALCN exists due to alternative splicing events. |
