KC1 — Oryza sativa Japonica

Summary

OsKC1 (Os06g0250600) encodes a voltage-sensitive potassium channel belonging to the KAT/AKT family, possessing outward rectifier potassium channel activity, ion transporter activity, and additional annotated functions including ATPase inhibitor activity and calcium-dependent protein serine/threonine phosphatase activity. In rice, the gene is associated with potassium homeostasis, salt and drought stress tolerance, reactive oxygen species responses, and stomatal regulation. It has been linked to grain shape, yield, seedling growth, and osmotic stress tolerance. The encoded protein localizes to the plasma membrane, nuclear membrane, cell plate, and vesicle compartments, and is connected to processes including ion membrane transport, regulation of membrane potential, and stomatal opening. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to guard cell ion flux, seed germination, and sodium and cadmium tolerance.