Na+/H+ Exchanger-1 (NHE1, SLC9A1) is a ubiquitously expressed integral membrane antiporter that plays a central role in regulating intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis. NHE1 is composed of 12 transmembrane helices (TMHs) with both N- and C-termini facing the cytosol. Key transport segments include TM IV, VII, and IX, along with reentrant loops IL2 and IL4, and glycosylation sites on extracellular loop 5 (EL5) that confer structural stability. The extended ~315-residue C-terminal cytoplasmic domain contains numerous serine/threonine phosphorylation sites and ezrin-binding motifs (residues 553–564), anchoring NHE1 to the actin cytoskeleton. NHE1 is allosterically activated by intracellular acidification, which promotes proton binding to a non-transport modifier site (Hill coefficient ~3), triggering conformational changes from inward- to outward-facing states through helix tilting and water-filled access pathways, similar to the bacterial NhaA transporter. It mediates electrogenic exchange of extracellular Na+ (Km 5–50 mM) for intracellular H+ in a 1:1 stoichiometry, utilizing the transmembrane Na+ gradient as its driving force without direct energy input. This allows rapid recovery of pHi following acidosis, regulation of cell volume via Na+ influx, and scaffolding of lamellipodia protrusion through ERM-actin interactions. Hormonal and growth factor signaling can phosphorylate C-terminal serines (e.g., S703, Thr653) via NHERF1, ERK, and PKA pathways, shifting the pHi set-point toward alkalinity. Pathologically, in ischemia-reperfusion injury, acid-activated NHE1 promotes cytotoxic Na+/Ca2+ overload via reverse-mode NCX activity, exacerbating myocardial infarction. Chronic NHE1 upregulation is also implicated in tumor invasion through pericellular alkalinization and matrix remodeling, as well as in cardiac hypertrophy.
|