KCNA4 is a gene that produces a protein of voltage-gated potassium channel. The protein is mostly found on the plasma membrane. It is also localized in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum. These channels mediate transmembrane potassium transport in excitable membranes and form tetrameric potassium-selective channels through which potassium ions pass in accordance with their electrochemical gradient. The channel alternates between opened and closed conformations in response to the voltage difference across the membrane. The gene is expressed in different tissues and organs such as brain, heart, kidney, lung, liver and spleen, and is also highly expressed in hippocampus, basal ganglia, cortex, cerebellum and spinal cord.
KCNA4