ABSTRACT
Encoded by 15 kcnk genes in humans (Figure 19.1a), K2P channels open and close (gate) in response to a variety of stimuli, including neurotransmitters, volatile anesthetics, and changes in pH. K2P channels are recognized by their distinct body plan of four transmembrane domains (TMD) and two-pore (P)-forming loops in each subunit (Figure 19.1b). Another distinction of the K2P channels is that they operate across the physiological voltage
range (Figure 19.1c) and therefore inuence both the shape of excitable events at depolarized voltages and the stability of VM at hyperpolarized voltages below the ring threshold for action potentials.
