Potassium Voltage Gated Channel, Delayed Rectifier Subfamily S, Member 2 (KCNS2)

The predicted 477-amino acid Kcns2 protein has all of the structural characteristics of an outward rectifier Kv alpha subunit, namely 6 transmembrane domains, a transmembrane region with 5 positively charged amino acids, and a conserved pore-forming region. Several putative phosphorylation sites are located in the cytoplasmic regions. Northern blot analysis showed that Kcns2 is expressed only in the brain. In situ hybridization detected high levels of Kcns2 mRNA in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, hippocampal formation, habenula, basolateral amygdaloid nuclei, and cerebellum; expression was also found in the retina and spinal cord. Kcns2 does not have potassium channel activity by itself but can modulate the activities of the Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 alpha subunits.