Potassium Channel Subfamily H Member 2 (hERG)

Potassium channel subfamily H member 2 (hERG) is a voltage-gated potassium ion channel encoded by the KCNH2 gene in humans. It forms the pore-forming alpha subunit of the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current (I_Kr), which is essential for repolarizing cardiac action potentials and thus for normal heart rhythm. Dysfunction or inhibition leads to prolonged QT interval on ECGs—a risk factor for arrhythmias such as torsade de pointes and sudden cardiac death. Drug-induced hERG inhibition is a major concern in pharmaceutical safety testing.

Other names

Ether-à-go-go-related gene potassium channel 1Voltage-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channel KCNH2Kv11.1ERGERG1Eag homologEag-related protein 1

Inhibition of I_Kr current, leading to QT interval prolongation.