title: HERG, a human inward rectifier in the voltage-gated potassium channel family.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Trudeau
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Warmke
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ganetzky
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002586:Cesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009154:Mutation; D009865:Oocytes; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D011898:Ranidae
chemical_list: D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D002586:Cesium; D001464:Barium