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Updated: May 20, 2026

Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting
Published on: December 9, 2022
The acid-sensitive, anesthetic-activated potassium leak channel, KCNK3, is regulated by 14-3-3β-dependent, protein
Luke Gabriel1, Anatoli Lvov, Demetra Orthodoxou
1Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01604, USA.
Abstract:
The acid-sensitive neuronal potassium leak channel, KCNK3, is vital for setting the resting membrane potential and is the primary target for volatile anesthetics. Recent reports demonstrate that KCNK3 activity is down-regulated by PKC; however, the mechanisms responsible for PKC-induced KCNK3 down-regulation are undefined. Here, we report that endocytic trafficking dynamically regulates KCNK3 activity. Phorbol esters and Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation acutely decreased both native and recombinant KCNK3 currents with concomitant KCNK3 surface losses in cerebellar granule neurons and cell lines. PKC-mediated KCNK3 internalization required the presence of both 14-3-3β and a novel potassium channel endocytic motif, because depleting either 14-3-3β protein levels or ablating the endocytic motif completely abrogated PKC-regulated KCNK3 trafficking. These results demonstrate that neuronal potassium leak channels are not static membrane residents but are subject to 14-3-3β-dependent regulated trafficking, providing a straightforward mechanism to modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity by Group I mGluRs.
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