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SK channel

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Small conductance (SK) calcium-activated potassium channels are a type of Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels. SK channels, apparently voltage insensitive, are gated by submicromolar-levels of intracellular Ca²⁺ ions and are important for regulating afterhyperpolarization in central neurones and other cell types.

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SK channels are thought to be involved in synaptic plasticity and can be pharmacologically blocked by a plant-derived neurotoxin Bicuculline

The SK channel family contains 3 members - Sk1, SK2 and SK3.

All cloned SK channels, SK1, SK2 and SK3 are sensitive to the bee venom apamin and the scorpion venom tamapin.

Several SK channel family subunits were cloned (See for example Dr. John Adelman http://www.ohsu.edu/vollum/faculty/adelman/

Classification

K_ca2.x : K_ca2.1 (KCNN1), K_ca2.2 (KCNN2), K_ca2.3 (KCNN3)
K_ca3.x: K_ca3.1 (KCNN4)
K_ca4.x: K_ca4.1 (KCNT1), K_ca4.2 (KCNT2)

v • d • e Membrane transport protein: ion channels
Ca²⁺: Calcium channel	Voltage-dependent calcium channel (L-type/Ca_vα(1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4), N-type, P-type/Ca_vα(2.1), Q-type, R-type, T-type, β-subunits (β1, β2, β4), γ-subunits (γ2) • Inositol triphosphate receptor • Ryanodine receptor • Cation channels of sperm • Two-pore channel
Na⁺: Sodium channel	Na_vα (1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 1.9) • Na_vβ (1, 3, 4) • Epithelial sodium channel
K⁺: Potassium channel	Voltage-gated (K_vα (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 4.2, 4.3, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 10.1, 11.1/hERG) • K_vβ (1, 2), Shaker gene, KCNE1) • Calcium-activated (BK channel, SK channel, SK3) • Inward-rectifier K_ir (1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 6.1, 6.2)) • Tandem pore domain K2P (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9)
Cl^-: Chloride channel	Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator
Porin	Aquaporin (1, 2, 3, 4) • Voltage-dependent anion channel (1)
Cations: TRP	TRPA (1) • TRPC (1, 2, 3, 4, 4AP, 5, 6, 7) • TRPM (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) • TRPML (Mucolipin-1) • TRPP (1, 2)• TRPV (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Other/general	Voltage-gated ion channel • Ligand-gated ion channel • Cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel (α1, α3, β3, H1, H2, H4) • Stretch-activated ion channel