Sodium Pump Adaptability to Tissue-Specific Regulation: A Review

The sodium pump or Na/K ATPase is a membrane-bound enzyme that maintains the Na and K gradients across the plasma membrane of animal cells. Many basic and specialized cellular functions depend on the activity of this enzyme, hence, its adaptability to changing cellular and physiological stimuli. This review presents an overview of the many adaptations or mechanisms that regulate sodium pump activity in a tissue-specific manner. These mechanisms include regulations by substrates, membrane associated components such as cytoskeletal elements and the γ-subunits and circulating endogenous inhibitors as well as a variety of hormones, including corticosteroids, peptide-hormones and catecholamine. In addition, this review considers the effects of a range of specific intracellular signaling pathways involved in the regulation of sodium pump activity.