An evolutionarily conserved dileucine motif in Shal K+ channels mediates dendritic targeting
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Functional Site-Directed Fluorometry in Native Cells to Study Skeletal Muscle Excitability
Published on: June 2, 2023
Jacqueline F Rivera1, Shoeb Ahmad, Michael W Quick
1Program in Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, 835 W. 37th Street, Los Angeles, California 90089-1340, USA.
Abstract:
The molecular mechanisms underlying polarized sorting of proteins in neurons are poorly understood. Here we report the identification of a 16 amino-acid, dileucine-containing motif that mediates dendritic targeting in a variety of neuronal cell types in slices of rat brain. This motif is present in the carboxy (C) termini of Shal-family K+ channels and is highly conserved from C. elegans to humans. It is necessary for dendritic targeting of potassium channel Kv4.2 and is sufficient to target the axonally localized channels Kv1.3 and Kv1.4 to the dendrites. It can also mediate dendritic targeting of a non-channel protein, CD8.
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