Plasma membrane Ca 2؉ -ATPases (PMCAs) are involved in local Ca 2؉ signaling and in the spatial control of Ca 2؉ extrusion, but how different PMCA isoforms are targeted to specific membrane domains is unknown. In polarized MDCK epithelial cells, a green fluorescent protein-tagged PMCA4b construct was targeted to the basolateral membrane, whereas a green fluorescent protein-tagged PMCA2b construct was localized to both the apical and basolateral domain. The PDZ protein-binding COOH-terminal tail of PMCA2b was not responsible for its apical membrane localization, as a chimeric pump made of an NH 2 -terminal portion from PMCA4 and a COOH-terminal tail from PMCA2b was targeted to the basolateral domain. Deletion of the last six residues of the COOH terminus of either PMCA2b or PMCA4b did not alter their membrane targeting, suggesting that PDZ protein interactions are not essential for proper membrane localization of the pumps. Instead, we found that alternative splicing affecting the first cytosolic loop determined apical membrane targeting of PMCA2. Only the "w" form, which contains a 45-amino acid residue insertion, showed prominent apical membrane localization. By contrast, the x and z splice variants containing insertions of 14 and 0 residues, respectively, localized to the basolateral membrane. The w splice insert was the crucial determinant of apical PMCA2 localization, and this was independent of the splice configuration at the COOH-terminal end of the pump; both PMCA2w/b and PMCA2w/a showed prominent apical targeting, whereas PMCA2x/b, PMCA2z/b, and PMCA2z/a were confined to the basolateral membrane. These data report the first differential effect of alternative splicing within the first cytosolic loop of PMCA2 and help explain the selective enrichment of specific PMCA2 isoforms in specialized membrane compartments such as stereocilia of auditory hair cells.Plasma membrane Ca 2ϩ -ATPases (PMCAs) 1 constitute the major high affinity Ca 2ϩ extrusion system of eukaryotic cells.Their function is crucial for the maintenance of the normally low cytosolic free Ca 2ϩ levels ([Ca 2ϩ ] i ) in resting cells and to counteract the transient increases in [Ca 2ϩ ] i generated during Ca 2ϩ signaling (1, 2). The spatially and temporally distinct demands on Ca 2ϩ influx and efflux mandate the proper spatial distribution and abundance of the PMCAs across the plasma membrane. This is of particular importance in polarized cells such as neurons or epithelial cells where Ca 2ϩ signaling often must be restricted to the pre-and post-synaptic membrane (neurons) or where Ca 2ϩ influx and efflux must be spatially segregated between the apical and basolateral membrane (Ca 2ϩ transporting epithelia). However, the molecular determinants and the mechanisms by which PMCAs are targeted to distinct membrane domains are unknown.Mammalian PMCAs are encoded by four separate genes giving rise to PMCA isoforms 1-4. Isoform complexity is further enhanced by alternative splicing of the primary transcripts, such that over 20 distinct PMCA variants ...