[Sodium ion transportation system and its possible mechanisms in bacteria].

Sodium ion with high concentration is toxic to living cells, and microorganisms adapt to the environment containing high concentration of salt by the strategies of salt-in-cytoplasm and compatible solutes. The Na+ extrusion system plays important roles in maintaining cytoplasmic Na+ homeostasis and pH level in microbial cells. Two possible mechanisms of Na+ circulation across the cytoplasmic membrane have been proposed, namely primary Na+ pump and secondary Na+/H+ antiporter. Primary sodium pumps coupled the extrusion of Na+ to respiration, and the activity of which was insensitive to uncoupler CCCP ( carbonyl-cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone). There were two types of secondary Na+/H+ antiporters-encoding genes designated single gene and multiple subunits, respectively. The types of transportation systems for Na+, possible mechanisms of Na+ extrusion, and projects for further study in bacteria are reviewed.