Potassium voltage-gated channel modifier subfamily S member 3 (KCNS3)

Potassium voltage-gated channel modifier subfamily S member 3 (KCNS3, Kv9.3) is a modulatory, electrically silent alpha subunit of the voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel family, specifically the S subfamily. KCNS3 does not form functional channels by itself but heteromultimerizes with functional alpha subunits such as Kv2.1 (KCNB1) and Kv2.2 (KCNB2), modifying their electrophysiological properties and enabling fine regulation of cell excitability. Highly expressed in the lung, placenta, and GABAergic neurons of the cortex, KCNS3 plays roles in shaping the resting membrane potential and action potential kinetics. Alterations in KCNS3 expression or sequence have been linked to disorders such as schizophrenia, airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma, and risk modulation of Parkinson’s disease, and it is detected in some cancer cell types. No drugs are currently known to specifically target KCNS3 as a primary therapeutic agent.

Other names

Kv9.3Delayed-rectifier potassium channel regulatory subunit KCNS3Delayed-rectifier potassium channel subunit Kv9.3Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily S member 3Shab-related delayed-rectifier K+ channel alpha subunit 3Voltage-gated potassium channel protein Kv9.3KCNS3_HUMAN

Modulates the electrophysiological properties of functional Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 channels by forming heteromeric complexes, which alter current amplitude, activation, and deactivation kinetics