Trudeau M C, Warmke J W, Ganetzky B, Robertson G A
Department of Physiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706, USA.
Science. 1995 Jul 7;269(5220):92-5. doi: 10.1126/science.7604285.
In contrast to other members of the Eag family of voltage-gated, outwardly rectifying potassium channels, the human eag-related gene (HERG) has now been shown to encode an inwardly rectifying potassium channel. The properties of HERG channels are consistent with the gating properties of Eag-related and other outwardly rectifying, S4-containing potassium channels, but with the addition of an inactivation mechanism that attenuates potassium efflux during depolarization. Because mutations in HERG cause a form of long-QT syndrome, these properties of HERG channel function may be critical to the maintenance of normal cardiac rhythmicity.
与电压门控外向整流钾通道Eag家族的其他成员不同，人类Eag相关基因（HERG）现已被证明编码一种内向整流钾通道。HERG通道的特性与Eag相关及其他外向整流、含S4的钾通道的门控特性一致，但增加了一种失活机制，该机制在去极化过程中减弱钾外流。由于HERG中的突变会导致一种长QT综合征，HERG通道功能的这些特性可能对维持正常心脏节律至关重要。
