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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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KCNK15
potassium two pore domain channel subfamily K member 15
Chromosome 20 · 20q13.12
NCBI Gene: 60598Ensembl: ENSG00000124249.7HGNC: HGNC:13814UniProt: Q9H427
12PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Ion ChannelTransporter
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
voltage-gated monoatomic ion channel activitypotassium ion leak channel activitypotassium ion transmembrane transportplasma membranepachyonychia congenitalung cancergastric cancerdeafness
✦AI Summary

KCNK15 encodes a two-pore domain potassium channel subunit that exhibits unique functional properties. Unlike most K2P channels, KCNK15 is non-functional as a homodimer but forms functional heterodimeric complexes with TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels 1. These heteromeric complexes display altered single-channel conductance, modified sensitivity to Gq-coupled receptor inhibition, and unique pharmacological properties compared to TASK homodimers 1. KCNK15 negatively modulates surface expression of TASK channels, suggesting a regulatory role in channel trafficking 1. In cancer contexts, KCNK15 expression is consistently downregulated across multiple tumor types including hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer 234. Reduced KCNK15 expression correlates with better prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients and serves as both a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker 2. The gene is subject to epigenetic silencing through promoter hypermethylation in various cancers 5. Additionally, KCNK15 is regulated by its antisense RNA (KCNK15-AS1), which undergoes m6A methylation modifications and influences pancreatic cancer cell motility and proliferation 46. These findings establish KCNK15 as both a functional ion channel component and a clinically relevant cancer biomarker.

Sources cited
1
KCNK15 is non-functional as homodimers but forms functional heterodimers with TASK-1 and TASK-3, affecting channel properties
PMID: 39215006
2
KCNK15 expression is reduced in hepatocellular carcinoma and correlates with better prognosis
PMID: 31581133
3
KCNK15 is a marker gene for metastatic epithelial cell subtypes in breast cancer
PMID: 39210391
4
KCNK15-AS1 antisense RNA regulates KCNK15 and affects pancreatic cancer cell growth
PMID: 34853296
5
KCNK15-AS1 undergoes m6A methylation and inhibits pancreatic cancer motility
PMID: 30032148
6
KCNK15 promoter is subject to hypermethylation-mediated silencing in cancer
PMID: 16707430
Disease Associationsⓘ20
pachyonychia congenitaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
deafnessOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
benign adult familial myoclonic epilepsyOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
self-limited childhood occipital epilepsyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss 9Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing lossOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hearing loss, autosomal recessiveOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
bilirubin metabolism diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia type 44Open Targets
0.03Suggestive
ovarian dysfunctionOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
thyroid cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Tetralogy of FallotOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
abscessOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
cellulitisOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
papillary thyroid carcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
KCNS1Protein interaction86%KRT76Protein interaction72%LRRC52Shared pathway50%LRRC26Shared pathway50%LRRC55Shared pathway50%LRRC38Shared pathway50%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Lung
68%
Heart
32%
Liver
12%
Brain
6%
Bone Marrow
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KCNK15KCNS1KRT76LRRC52LRRC26LRRC55LRRC38
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9H427
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.96LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.77 [0.96–1.96]
RankingsWhere KCNK15 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #16,480of 20,598
    Most Researched12
  • #17,711of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.96
Genes detectedKCNK15
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Single-cell landscape of intratumoral heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment remolding in pre-nodal metastases of breast cancer.
PMID: 39210391
J Transl Med · 2024
1.00
2
Potassium channel TASK-5 forms functional heterodimers with TASK-1 and TASK-3 to break its silence.
PMID: 39215006
Nat Commun · 2024
0.90
3
Long noncoding RNAs: role and contribution in pancreatic cancer.
PMID: 34036896
Transcription · 2021
0.80
4
ALKBH5-mediated m
PMID: 34853296
Cell Death Dis · 2021
0.70
5
KCNK levels are prognostic and diagnostic markers for hepatocellular carcinoma.
PMID: 31581133
Aging (Albany NY) · 2019
0.60