Probable potassium channel subunit. No channel activity observed in vitro as protein remains in the endoplasmic reticulum. May need to associate with an as yet unknown partner in order to reach the plasma membrane.
Catalysis of facilitated diffusion of a potassium ion (by an energy-independent process) involving passage through a transmembrane aqueous pore or channel without evidence for a carrier-mediated mechanism.
Catalysis of the transmembrane transfer of an ion by a voltage-gated channel. An ion is an atom or group of atoms carrying an electric charge by virtue of having gained or lost one or more electrons. A voltage-gated channel is a channel whose open state is dependent on the voltage across the membrane in which it is embedded.
J. Biol. Chem. 274, 11751-11760 (1999)[PubMed:10206991]
Mouse KCNK6 is a new subunit belonging to the TWIK channel family. This 335-amino acid polypeptide has four transmembrane segments, two pore-forming domains, and a Ca2+-binding EF-hand motif. Expression of KCNK6 transcripts is principally observed in eyes, lung, stomach and embryo. In the eyes, immunohistochemistry reveals protein expression only in some of the retina neurons. Although KCNK6 is able to dimerize as other functional two-P domain K+ channels when it is expressed in COS-7 cells, it remains in the endoplasmic reticulum and is unable to generate ionic channel activity. Deletions, mutations, and chimera constructions suggest that KCNK6 is not an intracellular channel but rather a subunit that needs to associate with a partner, which remains to be discovered, in order to reach the plasma membrane. A closely related human KCNK7-A subunit has been cloned. KCNK7 displays an intriguing GLE sequence in its filter region instead of the G(Y/F/L)G sequence, which is considered to be the K+ channel signature. This subunit is alternatively spliced and gives rise to the shorter forms KCNK7-B and -C. None of the KCNK7 structures can generate channel activity by itself. The KCNK7 gene is situated on chromosome 11, in the q13 region, where several candidate diseases have been identified.
Protein involved in the transport of ions. Such proteins are usually transmembrane and mediate a movement of ions across cell membranes. Transport may be passive (facilitated diffusion; down the electrochemical gradient), or active (against the electrochemical gradient). Active transport requires energy which may come from light, oxidation reactions, ATP hydrolysis, or cotransport of other ions or molecules.
Protein involved in the transport of a molecule (metabolite, protein, etc), a ion or an electron across cell membranes, inside the cell or in a tissue fluid.
Protein which is part of a transmembrane protein complex that forms a hydrophilic channel across the lipid bilayer through which specific inorganic ions can diffuse down their electrochemical gradients. The channels are usually gated and only open in response to a specific stimulus, such as a change in membrane potential (voltage-gated) or the binding of a ligand (ligand-gated channel).
Protein which is part of a transmembrane protein complex that forms a hydrophilic channel across the lipid bilayer through which potassium ions can diffuse down their electrochemical gradient. The channels are gated and only open in response to a specific stimulus, such as a change in membrane potential (voltage-gated). They are important for the regulation of the resting membrane potential and for the control of the shape and frequency of action potentials.
Protein which is a component of a voltage-gated channel. Voltage-gated ion channels are responsible for the electrical activity in a variety of cell types. They probably exist in all life forms.
A reference proteome is a set of protein sequences derived from a complete proteome which constitutes a defined standard for a particular user community. Reference proteomes are manually defined according to a number of criteria. They cover the proteomes of well- studied model organisms and other proteomes of interest for biomedical and biotechnological research. Reference proteomes have been selected to provide broad coverage of the tree of life, and constitute a representative cross-section of the taxonomic diversity to be found within UniProtKB.