ABSTRACT
The need for Na+/H+ exchange reactions in the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells seems to be virtually ubiquitous. The documented involvement of the exchanger in such basic cellular functions as intracellular pH regulation, volume regulation, and hormonal response suggests a wide repertoire of reasons to explain this frequent occurrence. In the continuing flood of information about the transport system, a recurrent theme is that the kinetics of the transporter are both unusual and physiologically relevant. While the physiological information is presented in other chapters, in this chapter the kinetic properties of the system are presented in an attempt to identify both recurrent trends and divergent features of the transport system as it appears in eukaryotic cells.
