KCNK18 explained

Potassium channel subfamily K member 18 (KCNK18), also known as TWIK-related spinal cord potassium channel (TRESK) or K_2P18.1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the KCNK18 gene. K_2P18.1 is a potassium channel containing two pore-forming P domains.^[1]

A flaw in this gene could help trigger migraine headaches. If the gene does not work properly, environmental factors can more easily trigger pain centres in the brain and cause a severe headache.^[2]

See also

• Tandem pore domain potassium channel

Further reading

• Andres-Enguix I, Shang L, Stansfeld PJ, Morahan JM, Sansom MS, Lafrenière RG, Roy B, Griffiths LR, Rouleau GA, Ebers GC, Cader MZ, Tucker SJ . Functional analysis of missense variants in the TRESK (KCNK18) K+ channel. . Scientific Reports . 2 . article number 237 . 2012 . 10.1038/srep00237 . 3266952 . 22355750.
• Czirják G, Tóth ZE, Enyedi P . The two-pore domain K+ channel, TRESK, is activated by the cytoplasmic calcium signal through calcineurin . J. Biol. Chem. . 279 . 18 . 18550–8 . 2004 . 14981085 . 10.1074/jbc.M312229200 . free .
• Kang D, Mariash E, Kim D . Functional expression of TRESK-2, a new member of the tandem-pore K+ channel family . J. Biol. Chem. . 279 . 27 . 28063–70 . 2004 . 15123670 . 10.1074/jbc.M402940200 . free .
• Barrios-Rodiles M, Brown KR, Ozdamar B, etal . High-throughput mapping of a dynamic signaling network in mammalian cells . Science . 307 . 5715 . 1621–5 . 2005 . 15761153 . 10.1126/science.1105776 . 2005Sci...307.1621B . 39457788 .
• Czirják G, Vuity D, Enyedi P . Phosphorylation-dependent binding of 14-3-3 proteins controls TRESK regulation . J. Biol. Chem. . 283 . 23 . 15672–80 . 2008 . 18397886 . 10.1074/jbc.M800712200 . 3259650. free .
• Pottosin II, Bonales-Alatorre E, Valencia-Cruz G, etal . TRESK-like potassium channels in leukemic T cells . Pflügers Arch. . 456 . 6 . 1037–48 . 2008 . 18506476 . 10.1007/s00424-008-0481-x . 3245155 .
• Sano Y, Inamura K, Miyake A, etal . A novel two-pore domain K+ channel, TRESK, is localized in the spinal cord . J. Biol. Chem. . 278 . 30 . 27406–12 . 2003 . 12754259 . 10.1074/jbc.M206810200 . free .

Notes and References

1. Goldstein SA, Bayliss DA, Kim D, Lesage F, Plant LD, Rajan S . International Union of Pharmacology. LV. Nomenclature and molecular relationships of two-P potassium channels . Pharmacol. Rev. . 57 . 4 . 527–40 . December 2005 . 16382106 . 10.1124/pr.57.4.12 . 7356601 .
2. Lafrenière RG, Cader MZ, Poulin JF, Andres-Enguix I, Simoneau M, Gupta N, Boisvert K, Lafrenière F, McLaughlan S, Dubé MP, Marcinkiewicz MM, Ramagopalan S, Ansorge O, Brais B, Sequeiros J, Pereira-Monteiro JM, Griffiths LR, Tucker SJ, Ebers G, Rouleau GA . September 2010 . A dominant-negative mutation in the TRESK potassium channel is linked to familial migraine with aura . Nature Medicine . 16. 10. 1157–1160. 20871611. 10.1038/nm.2216 . 205387180.
   • News: 2010-09-27 . Migraine cause 'identified' as genetic defect . BBC News .