Sodium channel mutations causing generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures + (Barela et al. 2006)

 Download zip file 
Help downloading and running models
Accession:87585
A novel mutation, R859C, in the Nav1.1 sodium channel was identified in a 4-generation, 33-member Caucasian family with a clinical presentation consistent with GEFS+. The mutation neutralizes a positively charged arginine in the domain 2 S4 voltage sensor of the Nav1.1 channel Ą subunit. When the mutation was placed in the rat Nav1.1 channel and expressed in Xenopus oocytes, the mutant channel displayed a positive shift in the voltage-dependence of sodium channel activation, slower recovery from slow inactivation, and lower levels of current compared to the wild-type channel. Computational analysis suggests that neurons expressing the mutant channel have higher thresholds for firing a single action potential and for firing multiple action potentials, along with decreased repetitive firing. Therefore, this mutation should lead to decreased neuronal excitability, in contrast to most previous GEFS+ sodium channel mutations that have changes predicted to increase neuronal firing.
References:
1 . Barela AJ, Waddy SP, Lickfett JG, Hunter J, Anido A, Helmers SL, Goldin AL, Escayg A (2006) An epilepsy mutation in the sodium channel SCN1A that decreases channel excitability. J Neurosci 26:2714-23 [PubMed]
2 . Spampanato J, Aradi I, Soltesz I, Goldin AL (2004) Increased neuronal firing in computer simulations of sodium channel mutations that cause generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus. J Neurophysiol 91:2040-50 [PubMed]
Model Information (Click on a link to find other models with that property)
Model Type: Neuron or other electrically excitable cell;
Brain Region(s)/Organism:
Cell Type(s):
Channel(s): I Na,t; I K; I Sodium;
Gap Junctions:
Receptor(s):
Gene(s): Nav1.1 SCN1A;
Transmitter(s):
Simulation Environment: NEURON;
Model Concept(s): Action Potentials; Epilepsy;
Implementer(s): Lickfett, Jay ; Goldin, Al [agoldin at uci.edu];
Search NeuronDB for information about:  I Na,t; I K; I Sodium;
//*********************************************************************
//
//  APthreshold.hoc
//
// 	Alan Goldin Lab, University of California, Irvine
// 	Jay Lickfett - Last Modified: 9 Sept 2005
//
//
//  Injects increasing amounts of current into separate  
//	model neuron soma to determine action potential thresholds.
//
//*********************************************************************

strdef logfile, useCellType

//----------------------------------------------------------------------

ilow = 20   	// starting injection current (pA)
istep = 10		// current step increment (pA)
nsteps = 35		// number of steps to run
 
logfile = "APthreshold.txt"

verbosedata = 0   // 1 to log all data points to disk, or
				  // 0 to log every 10th data point (faster)

useCellType = "WT-2005"	// possible values:  WT-2005, R859C, Mixed


//----------------------------------------------------------------------
				

secondorder = 2 



begintemplate ICellWT2005

	public isoma
	create isoma
	objectvar stim

	proc init() {		// takes injection current amplitude as argument
	
		iamp = $1	
	
		isoma {
				nseg=1 				
				L=25 
				diam=25
				
				Ra=210				
				cm=1

				insert ichanWT2005		
				enat = 50 
				ekf  = -80 
				gnatbar_ichanWT2005 = 0.2
				gkfbar_ichanWT2005  = 0.06
				gl_ichanWT2005      = 0.0005 
				el_ichanWT2005      = -60 
		}

			
		isoma stim = new IClamp(0.5)
		stim.del = 50
		stim.dur = 200
		stim.amp = iamp/1000
	}

endtemplate ICellWT2005


begintemplate ICellR859C

	public isoma
	create isoma
	objectvar stim

	proc init() {		// takes injection current amplitude as argument
	
		iamp = $1	
	
		isoma {
		
		
			nseg=1 
			L=25 
			diam=25

			Ra=210		
			cm=1
			
			insert ichanR859C1
			enat=50 
			ekf=-80 
			gnatbar_ichanR859C1=0.2
			gkfbar_ichanR859C1=0.06
			gl_ichanR859C1=0.0005 
			el_ichanR859C1=-60 
		}

			
		isoma stim = new IClamp(0.5)
		stim.del = 50
		stim.dur = 200
		stim.amp = iamp/1000
	}

endtemplate ICellR859C


begintemplate ICellMixed

	public isoma
	create isoma
	objectvar stim

	proc init() {		// takes injection current
	
		iamp = $1	
		
	
		isoma {
				nseg=1 				
				L=25 
				diam=25
				
				Ra=210				
				cm=1

				// vary gnatbar values to adjust percentage WT vs. Mutant
				// total gnatbar should sum to 0.2
				
				insert ichanWT2005		
				gnatbar_ichanWT2005 = 0.2
				gkfbar_ichanWT2005  = 0.06
				gl_ichanWT2005      = 0.0005 
				el_ichanWT2005      = -60 
				
				insert ichanR859C1
				gnatbar_ichanR859C1	=	0.00

				enat = 50 
				ekf	 = -80 			
		}

			
		isoma stim = new IClamp(0.5)
		stim.del = 50
		stim.dur = 200
		stim.amp = iamp/1000
	}

endtemplate ICellMixed



// instantiate the test cells (one for each injected current step)

objectvar cell[nsteps]

if (strcmp(useCellType, "R859C") == 0) {
	for i=0, nsteps-1 {	 cell[i] = new ICellR859C(ilow+(istep*i))  }
} 
if (strcmp(useCellType, "WT-2005") == 0) {
	for i=0, nsteps-1 {	 cell[i] = new ICellWT2005(ilow+(istep*i))  }
}
if (strcmp(useCellType, "Mixed") == 0) {
	for i=0, nsteps-1 {	 cell[i] = new ICellMixed(ilow+(istep*i))  }
}


// simulation control

dt = 0.01
v_init = -60
tstop = 300
tctr = 0

finitialize(v_init)


proc runsim() {

	wopen(logfile)
	
	fprint("APthreshold.hoc:  ilow=%d  istep=%d  nsteps=%d  verbosedata=%d  useCellType=%s  \n\n",ilow,istep,nsteps,verbosedata,useCellType)
	fprint("Time (ms)\t")
	for i=0, nsteps-1 { fprint("%d pA\t",ilow+(istep*i)) }
	fprint("\n")
	
	while(t<tstop) {
		
		if ((verbosedata == 1) || (tctr % 10 == 0)) {
			fprint("%f\t", t)
			for i=0, nsteps-1 {
				fprint("%f\t", cell[i].isoma.v(0.5))
			}
			fprint("\n")
		}
		
		tctr = tctr + 1
			
		fadvance()
	}
	
	wopen()  
}

runsim()


Loading data, please wait...