HcKCR1

HcKCR1 (kalium channelrhodopsin 1) is a natural light-gated, potassium-selective channelrhodopsin originally discovered in the stramenopile protist *Hyphochytrium catenoides*. It functions as a highly selective potassium channel that opens rapidly (in less than 1 ms) upon illumination with green light (peak activation around 540 nm). Unlike classical potassium channels, HcKCR1 lacks the canonical TVGYG selectivity filter, instead utilizing an alternative asymmetric selectivity gate to discriminate potassium from sodium. When expressed in excitable cells such as neurons or cardiomyocytes via adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, photoactivation of HcKCR1 drives potassium efflux, leading to membrane hyperpolarization and robust silencing of action potentials. HcKCR1 is widely investigated as an inhibitory optogenetic tool and a potential gene therapy candidate for the treatment of hyperexcitability-associated neurological and cardiac disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, neuropathic pain, and cardiac arrhythmias.

Other names

Hyphochytrium catenoides kalium channelrhodopsin 1KCR1KCR-1KCR 1kalium channelrhodopsin 1