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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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KCNK2
potassium two pore domain channel subfamily K member 2
Chromosome 1 · 1q41
NCBI Gene: 3776Ensembl: ENSG00000082482.14HGNC: HGNC:6277UniProt: O95069
91PubMed Papers
20Diseases
5Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Ion ChannelTransporter
CLINICAL
FDA Approved Target
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
mechanosensitive potassium channel activitycellular response to arachidonatepotassium ion leak channel activityplasma membranepsoriatic arthritishypertensionacute respiratory distress syndromeCOVID-19
✦AI Summary

KCNK2 (TREK-1) is a two-pore domain potassium channel that plays critical roles in maintaining cellular membrane potential and regulating diverse physiological processes. The channel functions as a background potassium conductor essential for resting membrane potential maintenance 1. KCNK2 exhibits mechanistic complexity, with certain isoforms lacking channel activity but instead reducing the activity and surface expression of functional isoforms. The channel demonstrates significant involvement in neurological disorders, particularly depression, where genetic polymorphisms in KCNK2 associate with major depressive disorder susceptibility and antidepressant treatment response 2. In vascular physiology, KCNK2 regulates blood-brain barrier function, with downregulation during inflammation facilitating lymphocyte migration 3. The channel also influences matrix metalloproteinase expression in pregnancy-induced hypertension, affecting uterine arterial function 4. KCNK2 shows therapeutic potential in inflammatory conditions, as its activation reduces influenza-induced lung injury through anti-inflammatory effects 5. In cancer biology, KCNK2 expression correlates with tumor progression in thyroid carcinoma and serves as a prognostic biomarker 6. The channel is also expressed in ovarian tissues, where modulators affect cell proliferation and apoptosis 7, and heat-induced downregulation via miR-132-3p promotes esophageal cancer development 8.

Sources cited
1
KCNK2 channels are responsible for background potassium current and maintenance of resting membrane potential
PMID: 32953560
2
KCNK2 genetic polymorphisms associate with major depressive disorder susceptibility and antidepressant treatment response
PMID: 19741570
3
KCNK2 downregulation during inflammation increases lymphocyte migration across blood-brain barrier
PMID: 24557892
4
KCNK2 regulates matrix metalloproteinase expression and affects uterine arterial function in pregnancy-induced hypertension
PMID: 40457264
5
KCNK2 activation reduces influenza-induced lung injury through anti-inflammatory effects
PMID: 36410022
6
KCNK2 expression correlates with tumor progression in thyroid carcinoma and serves as prognostic biomarker
PMID: 32742463
7
KCNK2 is expressed in ovarian tissues where modulators affect cell proliferation and apoptosis
PMID: 23479219
8
Heat-induced KCNK2 downregulation via miR-132-3p promotes esophageal cancer development
PMID: 37014157
Disease Associationsⓘ20
psoriatic arthritisOpen Targets
0.40Moderate
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.39Weak
acute respiratory distress syndromeOpen Targets
0.35Weak
COVID-19Open Targets
0.35Weak
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
male reproductive organ cancerOpen Targets
0.33Weak
respiratory failureOpen Targets
0.32Weak
female reproductive system diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
cancerOpen Targets
0.31Weak
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.30Weak
iron metabolism diseaseOpen Targets
0.30Weak
Abruptio PlacentaeOpen Targets
0.27Weak
ischemia reperfusion injuryOpen Targets
0.27Weak
esophageal cancerOpen Targets
0.26Weak
brain aneurysmOpen Targets
0.26Weak
cerebral arterial diseaseOpen Targets
0.26Weak
fluoride poisoningOpen Targets
0.26Weak
severe acute respiratory syndromeOpen Targets
0.26Weak
hemolytic anemiaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
morbid obesityOpen Targets
0.18Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets5
DESFLURANEApproved
Potassium channel subfamily K member 10 opener
ENFLURANEApproved
Potassium channel subfamily K member 10 opener
HALOTHANEApproved
Potassium channel subfamily K member 10 opener
ISOFLURANEApproved
Potassium channel subfamily K member 2 opener
SEVOFLURANEApproved
Glycine receptor (alpha-1/beta) positive modulator
Related Genes
PRKACBProtein interaction99%KCNK10Protein interaction97%PRKACGProtein interaction97%KRT76Protein interaction88%POPDC2Protein interaction77%POPDC1Protein interaction75%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Ovary
43%
Lung
2%
Liver
1%
Bone Marrow
0%
Heart
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KCNK2PRKACBKCNK10PRKACGKRT76POPDC2POPDC1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB4TWK · 2.60 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.72LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.02Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.48 [0.33–0.72]
RankingsWhere KCNK2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #5,251of 20,598
    Most Researched91
  • #304of 1,025
    FDA-Approved Drug Targets5
  • #5,569of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.72
Genes detectedKCNK2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
TREK-king the blood-brain-barrier.
PMID: 24557892
J Neuroimmune Pharmacol · 2014
1.00
2
The correlation and role analysis of KCNK2/4/5/15 in Human Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma microenvironment.
PMID: 32742463
J Cancer · 2020
0.90
3
Support for the involvement of the KCNK2 gene in major depressive disorder and response to antidepressant treatment.
PMID: 19741570
Pharmacogenet Genomics · 2009
0.80
4
KCNK2-mediated regulation of MMP-2/9 by PlGF influences uterine artery function in pregnancy-induced hypertension.
PMID: 40457264
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth · 2025
0.70
5
Activation of TREK-1 (
PMID: 36410022
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol · 2023
0.60