BK channels exhibit enormous functional diversity arising from coassembly of the pore-forming Slo1 alpha subunits with two families of regulatory subunits, beta and gamma.
channels of large conductance (BK channels) are expressed in a diverse variety of both excitable and inexcitable cells, with functional properties presumably uniquely calibrated for the cells in which they are found. Although some diversity in BK channel function, localization, and regulation apparently arises from cell-specific alternative splice variants of the single pore-forming α subunit ( KCa1.1, Kcnma1, Slo1) gene, two families of regulatory subunits, β and γ, define BK channels that span a diverse range of functional properties. We are just beginning to unravel the cell-specific, physiological roles served by BK channels of different subunit composition.
González-Pérez et al. (Sun,) conducted a review in BK channel regulation. BK channels exhibit enormous functional diversity arising from coassembly of the pore-forming Slo1 alpha subunits with two families of regulatory subunits, beta and gamma.