New Mutation of the Na Channel in the Severe Form of Potassium-aggravated Myotonia

Myotonia manifests in several hereditary diseases, including hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HyperPP), paramyotonia congenita (PMC), and potassium-aggravated myotonia (PAM). These are allelic disorders originating from missense mutations in the gene that codes the skeletal muscle sodium channel, Nav1.4. Moreover, a severe form of PAM has been designated as myotonia permanens. A new mutation of Nav1.4, Q1633E, was identified in a Japanese family presenting with the PAM phenotype. The proband suffered from cyanotic attacks during infancy. The mutated amino acid residue is located on the EF-hand calcium-binding motif in the intracellular C-terminus. A functional analysis of the mutant channel using the voltage-clamp method revealed disruption of fast inactivation, a slower rate of current decay, and a depolarized shift in the voltage dependence of availability. This study has identified a new mutation of PAM with a severe phenotype and emphasizes the importance of the C-terminus for fast inactivation of the sodium channel. Muscle Nerve 39: 666-673, 2009.