Activation of potassium channels regulates excitability and can control the shape of the action potential waveform. They are present in all cells within the body and can influence processes as diverse as cognition, muscle contraction and hormone secretion. Potassium channels are subdivided into families, based on their structural and functional properties. The largest family consists of potassium channels that activated by membrane depolarization, with other families consisting of channels that are either activated by a rise of intracellular calcium ions or are constitutively active. A standardised nomenclature for potassium channels has been proposed by the NC-IUPHAR subcommittees on potassium channels [1-4], which has placed cloned channels into groups based on gene family and structure of channels that exhibit 6, 4 or 2 transmembrane domains (TM).

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1. Goldstein SA, Bayliss DA, Kim D, Lesage F, Plant LD, Rajan S. (2005) International Union of Pharmacology. LV. Nomenclature and molecular relationships of two-P potassium channels. Pharmacol. Rev., 57 (4): 527-40. [PMID:16382106]

2. Gutman GA, Chandy KG, Grissmer S, Lazdunski M, McKinnon D, Pardo LA, Robertson GA, Rudy B, Sanguinetti MC, Stühmer W et al.. (2005) International Union of Pharmacology. LIII. Nomenclature and molecular relationships of voltage-gated potassium channels. Pharmacol. Rev., 57 (4): 473-508. [PMID:16382104]

3. Kubo Y, Adelman JP, Clapham DE, Jan LY, Karschin A, Kurachi Y, Lazdunski M, Nichols CG, Seino S, Vandenberg CA. (2005) International Union of Pharmacology. LIV. Nomenclature and molecular relationships of inwardly rectifying potassium channels. Pharmacol. Rev., 57 (4): 509-26. [PMID:16382105]

4. Wei AD, Gutman GA, Aldrich R, Chandy KG, Grissmer S, Wulff H. (2005) International Union of Pharmacology. LII. Nomenclature and molecular relationships of calcium-activated potassium channels. Pharmacol. Rev., 57 (4): 463-72. [PMID:16382103]