Na+/K+ ATPase

Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase (Sodium potassium pump) is a transmembrane protein complex found in all higher eukaryotes acting as a key energy-consuming pump maintaining ionic and osmotic balance in cells. Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase is an emerging cancer target that merits further investigation.

The constant activity of the Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase (NKA, or Na⁺ pump) is essential for re-establishing and maintaining this gradient. In cardiac and vascular smooth muscle the principal isoforms of the NKA are α1 and α2 and their physiological role is controlled both by their unique and independent signalling pathways, and their discrete subcellular distribution.