Grasping for calcium binding sites in sodium channels with an EF hand

Abstract

Amino acid sequences near the carboxy terminal end of the Electrophorus electricus electric organ and rat brain sodium channel polypeptides were discovered to be putative EF hand calcium binding sites. This conclusion was made using the following criteria: the Tufty-Kretsinger and Szebenyi-Moffat EF hand tests, a computer generated analysis, the revised guidelines of Chou & Fasman, and sequence comparisons with other published EF hand calcium binding regions. These results suggest that the sodium channel may be a calcium binding protein.