Title: Alternative splicing of the human Shaker K+ channel beta 1 gene and functional expression of the beta 2 gene product.

Authors: K McCormack, T McCormack, M Tanouye, B Rudy, W Stühmer

Journal, date & volume: FEBS Lett., 1995 Aug 14 , 370, 32-6

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7649300

Abstract
Mammalian voltage-activated Shaker K+ channels associate with at least three cytoplasmic proteins: Kv beta 1, Kv beta 2 and Kv beta 3. These beta subunits contain variable N-termini, which can modulate the inactivation of Shaker alpha subunits, but are homologous throughout an aldo-keto reductase core. Human and ferret beta 3 proteins are identical with rat beta 1 throughout the core while beta 2 proteins are not; beta 2 also contains a shorter N-terminus and has no reported physiological role. We report that human beta 1 and beta 3 are derived from the same gene and that beta 2 modulates the inactivation properties of Kv1.4 alpha subunits.