Explain How α and β Units Differ in Their Structure

Question

Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is The subunit effectively forms the entire voltage-activated sodium channel, including all of its transmembrane domains, poor-forming region, and its voltage sensor that gates (opens) the channel. By contrast the submit forms just one-fifth of the nAChR (even in a homo-pentameric channel made of 5 α-subunits, any single α-subunit forms one-fifth of the receptor). The α-subunit of the nAChR binds the ligand for nAChRs, but the α-subunit of voltage-activated channels has no equivalent ligand-binding role. β-subunits also make up one-fifth of the nAChR; they occupy nearly the same size as α-subunits and play a similar role in the channel apart from ligand-binding β-subunits in voltage-activated sodium channels are much smaller than the subunit and play an auxiliary role.

Explain How α and β Units Differ in Their Structure

Definitions: