Neuron, Vol. 14, 625-633, March, 1995, Copyright © 1995 by Cell Press


Molecular Recognition and Assembly Sequences Involved In the Subfamily- Specific 
Assembly of Voltage-gated K+ Channel Subunit Proteins 

N. V. Shen and P. J. Pfaffinger1

1 Division of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030


Corresponding author: P. J. Pfaffinger


We are analyzing features of the K+ channel subunit proteins that are critical 
for function and regulation of these proteins. Our studies show biochemically 
that subunit proteins from the Shaker and Shaw subfamilies fail to assemble into 
a heteromultimer. The basis for this incompatibility is the sequences contained 
within the T1 assembly domain. For a subunit protein to heteromultimerize with a 
Shaker subunit protein, two regions within the T1 domain, A and B, must be of 
the Shaker subtype. Finally, we show that the incompatibility of a Shaw A region 
for assembly with a Shaker protein depends upon the composition of a 30 amino 
acid conserved sequence in the A region.