High impact information on KCNK15

• Expression pattern in brain of TASK-1, TASK-3, and a tandem pore domain K(+) channel subunit, TASK-5, associated with the central auditory nervous system [1].
• In contrast, TASK-5 expression is found in olfactory bulb mitral cells and Purkinje cells, but predominantly associated with the central auditory pathway [1].
• The two-pore-domain potassium channels TASK-1, TASK-3 and TASK-5 possess a conserved C-terminal motif of five amino acids [2].
• The KT3.2 gene is located at chromosome 8q24 1-3, and the KT3.3 gene maps to chromosome 20q13.1 [3].
• Based on amino acid sequence and phylogenetic analysis, KT3.2, KT3.3, and TASK-1 constitute a subfamily within the KT channel mammalian family [3].

Biological context of KCNK15

• Recently, another member (TASK-5) was identified in the human genome [4].
• We have named the channel TASK-5 owing to its sequence homology with TASK-1 and TASK-3 [5].

Anatomical context of KCNK15

• Thus, TASK-5 is a new member of the tandem-pore K(+) channel family but does not produce a functional plasma membrane K(+) current by itself [4].
• Neither form of TASK-5 showed channel activity when transfected in COS-7 cells [4].
• TASK-5 mRNA is expressed in pancreas, liver, kidney, lung, ovary, testis and heart [5].
• Nonetheless, TASK-5 may require some other, unidentified partner subunit to form functional channels in the plasma membrane or it may form a channel in an intracellular organelle [5].
• Removal of a putative endoplasmic reticulum retention sequence did not alter this finding and the distribution of channel proteins in HEK293 cells was similar for both TASK-1 and TASK-5 [5].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of KCNK15

• Participants were given a facial expression recognition task 5 h after drink administration [6].

References