Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily C member 2 (KCNC2) (Kv3.2)

Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily C member 2 (Kv3.2) is a member of the Shaw-related subfamily of voltage-gated potassium channels, primarily expressed in the central nervous system, particularly in fast-spiking GABAergic interneurons (UniProt: P22456). It is characterized by its unique fast activation and deactivation kinetics at depolarized membrane potentials, which allow neurons to fire action potentials at high frequencies with minimal refractory periods (PubMed: 24639524). Kv3.2 plays a critical role in maintaining the temporal precision of neuronal signaling and regulating the release of neurotransmitters within inhibitory circuits. Dysregulation or de novo mutations in the KCNC2 gene encoding Kv3.2 are linked to various neurological disorders, including developmental and epileptic encephalopathy and cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia (PubMed: 35145144). Pharmacological targeting of Kv3.2, often through positive allosteric modulators like AUT00206, is being explored as a therapeutic strategy to restore normal firing patterns in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03280056).

Other names

KCNC2Voltage-gated potassium channel subunit Kv3.2KV3.2KSHIIIAVoltage-gated potassium channel, Shaw-related subfamily, member 2

Positive allosteric modulation (PAM) to increase the open probability and shift the voltage-dependence of activation to more negative potentials, or non-selective inhibition of potassium efflux (PubMed: 28416633, 24639524).