Background information
Voltage-gated K+ channels in the plasma membrane control the repolarization and the frequency of action potentials in neurons, muscles and other excitable cells. The KV gene family encodes more than 30 proteins that comprise the subunits of the K+ channels, and they vary in their gating and permeation properties, subcellular distribution and expression patterns. Functional KV channels assemble as tetramers consisting of pore-forming alpha subunits (KV), which include the KV1, KV2, KV3, KV4 and KV9 proteins, and accessory or KV-subunits that modify the gating properties of the coexpressed KV subunits. KV2.2 is a multi-pass membrane protein that regulates the voltage-dependent K+ permeability of excitable membranes. Its tail may be influential in the targeting of the channel to specific subcellular compartments and/or the regulation of channel activity.
