Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily D member 3 also known as K
v4.3 is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''KCND3''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
.
It contributes to the
cardiac transient outward potassium current
The cardiac transient outward potassium current (referred to as Ito1 or Ito ) is one of the ion currents across the cell membrane of heart muscle cells. It is the main contributing current during the repolarizing phase 1 of the cardiac action ...
(I
to1), the main contributing current to the
repolarizing phase 1 of the cardiac action potential.
Function
Voltage-gated potassium (
Kv) channels represent the most complex class of voltage-gated ion channels from both functional and structural standpoints. Their diverse functions include regulating neurotransmitter release, heart rate, insulin secretion, neuronal excitability, epithelial electrolyte transport, smooth muscle contraction, and cell volume. Four sequence-related potassium channel genes – shaker, shaw, shab, and shal – have been identified in Drosophila, and each has been shown to have human homolog(s).
K
v4.3 is a member of the potassium channel, voltage-gated, shal-related subfamily, members of which form voltage-activated A-type potassium ion channels and are prominent in the repolarization phase of the
action potential
An action potential occurs when the membrane potential of a specific cell location rapidly rises and falls. This depolarization then causes adjacent locations to similarly depolarize. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, ...
. This member includes two isoforms with different sizes, which are encoded by alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene.
Clinical significance
Gain of function is believed to cause
Brugada syndrome
Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a genetic disorder in which the electrical activity of the heart is abnormal due to channelopathy. It increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. Those affected may have episodes of syncope ...
although only indirectly shown by mutations in the beta subunit
KCNE3
Potassium voltage-gated channel, Isk-related family, member 3 (KCNE3), also known as MinK-related peptide 2 (MiRP2) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''KCNE3'' gene.
Function
Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv) represent the most ...
which causes gain of function of K
v4.3.
See also
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Voltage-gated potassium channel
Voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKCs) are transmembrane channels specific for potassium and sensitive to voltage changes in the cell's membrane potential. During action potentials, they play a crucial role in returning the depolarized ce ...
References
Further reading
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External links
GeneReviews/NIH/NCBI/UW entry on Brugada syndrome*
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