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Abstract

<h3>Abstract</h3> The distribution of voltage-gated potassium channels Kv1 at the axon initial segment (AIS), along the axon and at presynaptic terminals influences intrinsic excitability and transmitter release. Kv1.1/1.2 subunits are associated with cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), including Caspr2 and LGI1 that are implicated in autoimmune and genetic neurological diseases with seizures. In particular, mutations in the LGI1 gene cause autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy (ADTLE). In the present study, we used rat hippocampal neurons in culture to assess whether interplay between distinct Kv1-associated CAMs contributes to targeting at the AIS. Strikingly, LGI1 was highly restricted to the AIS surface when transfected alone, whereas the missense mutant LGI1^S473L associated with ADLTE was not. Next, we showed that ADAM22 and ADAM23 acted as chaperones to promote axonal vesicular transport of LGI1 reducing its density at the AIS. Moreover, live-cell imaging of fluorescently labelled CAMs indicated that LGI1 was co-transported in axonal vesicles with ADAM22 or ADAM23. Finally, we showed that ADAM22 and ADAM23 also associate with Caspr2 and TAG-1 to be selectively targeted within different axonal sub-regions. The combinatorial expression of Kv1-associated CAMs may be critical to tune intrinsic excitability in a physiological or an epileptogenic context.