Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience (May 2022)

The ERG1 K+ Channel and Its Role in Neuronal Health and Disease

  • Francisco G. Sanchez-Conde,
  • Eric N. Jimenez-Vazquez,
  • David S. Auerbach,
  • David K. Jones,
  • David K. Jones

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.890368
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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The ERG1 potassium channel, encoded by KCNH2, has long been associated with cardiac electrical excitability. Yet, a growing body of work suggests that ERG1 mediates physiology throughout the human body, including the brain. ERG1 is a regulator of neuronal excitability, ERG1 variants are associated with neuronal diseases (e.g., epilepsy and schizophrenia), and ERG1 serves as a potential therapeutic target for neuronal pathophysiology. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-field regarding the ERG1 channel structure and function, ERG1’s relationship to the mammalian brain and highlights key questions that have yet to be answered.

Keywords