1.A.1.2.21
Shal (SHL-1, Kv4) K⁺ channels of 578 aas and 6 TMSs are the predominant transient outward current in C. elegans muscle. SHL-1 expression occurs in a subset of neurons, body wall muscle and in male-specific diagonal muscles (Fawcett et al. 2006) and control the excitability of neurons and cardiac myocytes by conducting rapidly activating-inactivating currents. Activity is modulated by three K⁺ channel interacting (KChIP) soluble auxiliary subunits, NCS-4, NCS-5, and NCS-7. All three ceKChIPs alter electrical characteristics of SHL-1 currents by slowing down inactivation kinetics and shifting voltage dependence of activation to more hyperpolarizing potentials. Native SHL-1 current is completely abolished in cultured myocytes of Triple KO worms in which all three KChIP genes are deleted (Chen et al. 2015).