Cardiac voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv channel)

Cardiac voltage-gated potassium channels are a diverse group of transmembrane proteins essential for the electrical activity of the heart (Schmitt et al., 2014). They facilitate the efflux of potassium ions out of cardiomyocytes, primarily during the repolarization phase of the action potential (Nerbonne & Kass, 2005). This group includes various subtypes such as the ultra-rapid (IKur), transient outward (Ito), rapid (IKr), and slow (IKs) delayed rectifier channels, which are encoded by genes such as KCNA5, KCND3, KCNH2, and KCNQ1 (Tamargo et al., 2004). Dysregulation or genetic mutations in these channels are linked to numerous arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and long QT syndromes (StatPearls, 2023). Pharmacological modulation of these channels is a cornerstone of antiarrhythmic therapy, though it carries significant risks of pro-arrhythmia due to potential excessive prolongation of the ventricular action potential (Roden, 2016).

Other names

Other cardiac voltage-gated potassium channelsVoltage-gated potassium channels (cardiac)Non-hERG cardiac potassium channelsCardiac Kv channelsVoltage-gated potassium channel subunits

Blockade of the potassium-conducting pore of voltage-gated channels, which inhibits the efflux of K+ ions during the repolarization phase of the cardiac action potential, thereby prolonging the action potential duration and the effective refractory period (Tamargo et al., 2004).