The
voltage-gated potassium channel alpha-subunit comprises 11 families and several
related families in mammals. Kcn acts as an anatagonist of glucose mediated
insulin secretion and this effect appears to be in turn antagonized by
components of the pathway. The alpha subunit identified as mediating the
voltage-dependent outward potassium current in the mammalian beta cells is
Kcnb1 (known as Kv2.1), the first member of family 2 also known as Shab. Three
regulatory beta subunits have been identified; they are related to the
NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase enzymes and thought to confer redox sensitivity
upon the channel. The three genes are expressed in the beta cells of human and
rat but their association with Kcnb1 remains to be established. More information can be found in PMID:12830383. Only Kcnb1 is listed with aliases in parentheses, full name and link to the gene report page:
Kcnb1
(Kv2.1, Kcr1-1, Shab) – potassium voltage gated channel, Shab-related
subfamily, member 1



