KCNB2
Description
The KCNB2 (potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily B member 2) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 8.
Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily B member 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the KCNB2 gene. The protein encoded by this gene is a voltage-gated potassium channel subunit.
KCNB2, also known as Kv2.2, is a voltage-gated potassium channel that facilitates potassium transport across membranes in excitable cells, particularly in the brain and smooth muscle. It responds to changes in membrane voltage, opening and closing to allow potassium ions to flow according to their electrochemical gradient. When four KCNB2 subunits assemble (homotetramer), they form a channel that produces a delayed-rectifier outward potassium current. This current is characterized by rapid activation and slow inactivation upon membrane depolarization. KCNB2 can also combine with varying amounts of KCNB1 subunits to create heterotetrameric channels, leading to different channel properties based on the specific subunits involved. Additionally, KCNB2 can form functional heterotetramers with other non-conducting alpha subunits, such as KCNS1 and KCNS2, resulting in a wider range of channel complexes with diverse functions. In living cells, membranes likely contain a mixture of these heteromeric potassium channel complexes, making it challenging to attribute observed currents in tissues to individual potassium channel family members. Overall, KCNB2 contributes to the delayed-rectifier voltage-gated potassium current in cortical pyramidal neurons and smooth muscle cells.
KCNB2 is also known as KV2.2.
