Voltage-gated potassium channel subunits Kv7.2, Kv7.3, and Kv7.5 (Kv7.2 (KCNQ2), Kv7.3 (KCNQ3), Kv7.5 (KCNQ5))

Kv7.2, Kv7.3, and Kv7.5 are subunits of the voltage-gated potassium channel family encoded by KCNQ2, KCNQ3, and KCNQ5, respectively. These subunits co-assemble—most commonly as heterotetramers of Kv7.2/Kv7.3 or Kv7.3/Kv7.5—to form functional ion channels in the plasma membrane of neurons and other excitable cells. Kv7 channels are crucial for the generation of the M-current, a slowly activating, non-inactivating K⁺ current that regulates neuronal excitability by stabilizing the resting membrane potential and limiting repetitive neuronal firing[1][3][5]. Kv7 channel dysfunction, most often through genetic mutations, is implicated in a spectrum of neurological diseases, primarily early-onset epilepsies and neurodevelopmental disorders. Kv7 channels are the targets of drugs such as retigabine, which act as openers to increase channel activity and reduce neuronal excitability. These channels are widely expressed in the nervous system, and their pharmacological modulation presents both opportunities and challenges for neurological therapeutics, particularly regarding safety profiles and off-target effects[5][2][6].

Other names

KCNQ2KCNQ3KCNQ5M-channelM-current channelvoltage-gated potassium channel subunitsKCNQ channels

Positive allosteric modulation (channel openers activate the channel, shifting voltage dependence to facilitate opening)[2][5]. Stabilization of neuronal resting potential to reduce hyperexcitability[2][5]. Inhibition of channel (rare, negatively modulating drugs or pathogenic mutations)[2].