Sodium Potassium ATPase is an integral membrane protein complex that hydrolyzes ATP to maintain the transmembrane gradients of Na+ and K+ found in most mammalian cells. The Sodium Potassium ATPase enzyme is comprised of an alpha and beta subunit. The alpha-polypeptide (Sodium Potassium ATPase Alpha 1) has been shown to be the catalytically active subunit, whereas the Beta-polypeptide appears to be necessary for the assembly and transport of the sodium pump to the plasma membrane. Sodium Potassium ATPase alpha-1 subunit, in the brain, is expressed in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells.
