A HIERARCHY OF ANKYRIN/SPECTRIN COMPLEXES CLUSTERS SODIUM CHANNELS AT NODES OF RANVIER

The scaffolding protein ankyrinG is required for Na+ channel clustering at axon initial segments. It is also considered essential for Na+ channel clustering at nodes of Ranvier to facilitate fast and efficient action potential propagation. However, in contrast to these widely accepted roles, we show here that ankyrinG is dispensable for nodal Na+ channel clustering in vivo. Surprisingly, without ankyrinG, erythrocyte ankyrin (ankyrinR) and its binding partner βI spectrin substitute and rescue nodal Na+ channel clustering. In addition, channel clustering is also rescued after loss of nodal βIV spectrin by βI spectrin and ankyrinR. In mice lacking both ankyrinG and ankyrinR, Na+ channels fail to cluster at nodes. Thus, ankyrinR/βI spectrin protein complexes function as secondary reserve Na+ channel clustering machinery, and two independent ankyrin/spectrin protein complexes exist in myelinated axons to cluster Na+ channels at nodes of Ranvier.