SLOW INACTIVATION CONSERVED IN HETEROMULTIMERIC VOLTAGE-DEPENDENT K+ CHANNELS BETWEEN SHAKER (KV1) AND SHAW (KV3) SUBFAMILIES

Single K+ channels were recorded under the cell-attached mode in Xenop us oocytes injected with an equal amount of mRNAs coding for NGK1 (Kv1 .2) and NGK2 (Kv3.1a) voltage-dependent K+ channels, A new class of ch annels of 20 pS in conductance with three degrees of inactivation was observed, The results suggest that voltage-dependent NGK1 Shaker and N GK2 Shaw K+ channels, from different subfamilies, assemble to form het eromultimeric K+ channels in Xenopus oocytes and show characteristics inherited from two parental channels.