Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily C member 4 (KCNC4)

Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily C member 4 (KCNC4), also known as Kv3.4, is an integral membrane protein that assembles as a tetramer to form voltage-gated potassium channels important for repolarizing action potentials in neurons and muscle cells[2][6]. KCNC4 channels activate and inactivate rapidly upon changes in membrane potential, shaping the timing and frequency of action potentials[2][4]. In the nervous system, KCNC4 is critical for synaptic signaling and repetitive neuronal firing, while in muscle it influences contractility and responses to pH and biochemical changes. Dysregulation or altered expression of KCNC4 is implicated in neurodegeneration (such as Alzheimer’s disease), chronic pain conditions, epilepsy, motor neuron disease, and certain muscle disorders[2][5]. Pharmacological targeting of KCNC4 is explored mainly with inhibitors (like 4-aminopyridine and TEA) as research tools, though clinical use is limited by potential for neurological and cardiac side effects due to the widespread physiological roles of potassium channels[4][5].

Other names

Kv3.4Voltage-gated potassium channel subunit Kv3.4C1orf30HKSHIIICKSHIIICPotassium channel, voltage-gated Shaw-related subfamily C member 4Potassium channel, Shaw-related subfamily, member 4KV3.4

Potassium channel blockers inhibit channel activity to increase neuronal excitability or treat channelopathies[4] Modulation by phosphorylation or oxidation alters channel inactivation state and currents