Differential recruitment of Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 to lipid rafts by PSD-95

J Biol Chem. 2004 Jan 2;279(1):444-52. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M304675200. Epub 2003 Oct 14.

Abstract

The activity of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels, and consequently their influence on cellular functions, can be substantially altered by phosphorylation. Several protein kinases that modulate Kv channel activity are found in membrane subdomains known as lipid rafts, which are thought to organize signaling complexes in the cell. Thus, we asked whether Kv1.4 and Kv4.2, two channels with critical roles in excitable cells, are found in lipid rafts. Acylation can target proteins to raft regions; however, Kv channels are not acylated, and therefore, a different mechanism must exist to bring them into these membrane subdomains. Because both Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 interact with postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), which is acylated (specifically, palmitoylated), we examined whether PSD-95 can recruit these channels to lipid rafts. We found that a portion of Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 protein in rat brain membranes is raft-associated. Lipid raft patching and immunostaining confirmed that some Kv4.2 is in Thy-1-containing rafts in rat hippocampal neurons. Using a heterologous expression system, we determined that palmitoylation of PSD-95 was crucial to its localization to lipid rafts. We then assessed the contribution of PSD-95 to the raft association of these channels. Co-expression of PSD-95 increased the amount of Kv1.4, but not Kv4.2, in lipid rafts. Deleting the PSD-95 binding motif of Kv1.4 eliminated this recruitment, as did substituting a palmitoylation-deficient PSD-95 mutant. This work represents the first evidence that PSD-95 binding can recruit Kv channels into lipid rafts, a process that could facilitate interactions with the protein kinases that affect channel activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain / physiology
  • Cell Line
  • DNA Primers
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Kv1.4 Potassium Channel
  • Membrane Microdomains / physiology*
  • Membrane Microdomains / ultrastructure
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / physiology*
  • Potassium Channels / genetics
  • Potassium Channels / physiology*
  • Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated*
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Shal Potassium Channels
  • Transfection

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein
  • Dlg4 protein, rat
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • KCNA4 protein, human
  • KCND2 protein, human
  • Kcna4 protein, rat
  • Kcnd2 protein, rat
  • Kv1.4 Potassium Channel
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Potassium Channels
  • Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Shal Potassium Channels
  • postsynaptic density proteins