Electrogenic property of Na+, K(+)-ATPase through computer simulation

A computer simulation of the electrogenic nature of the membrane-bound Na+, K(+)-ATPase is presented. The model involves coupling two simulation systems for passive and active transports, using a minimum of empirical parameters, and studies the contribution of the pump to the membrane potential. The simulation results indicate that electrogenic active transport accelerates the restoration of the resting electrochemical gradients and contributes approximately 0.44-1.1 mV to the resting potential of the membrane, depending on the Na:K coupling ratio. The effect of membrane potential and the physical positioning of the enzyme from the passive transporting channel on the enzyme function is also presented. The validity of the model is checked by comparing our results with reported literature values.