KC1 — Sorghum bicolor

Summary

SbKC1, encoded by SORBI_3009G147500 on sorghum chromosome 9, is a voltage-sensitive potassium channel protein belonging to the KAT/AKT family, possessing ion transporter and outward rectifier potassium channel activity. It is associated with regulation of membrane potential, upregulation of stomatal opening, regulation of K+ transport, response to basic pH, and hypotonic salinity response. The gene has been linked to numerous agronomic traits including yield, leaf necrosis tolerance, water stress response trait, transpiration rate, stomatal complex closure time, days to flowering trait, root mass density, lateral root length, nitrate uptake, sucrose content, and sensitivity to alkali soil, magnesium, nitrogen, and aluminum. It is also connected to potassium translocation, potassium distribution, potassium homeostasis, reactive oxygen species response, and programmed cell death. Studies of related genes in other species link the family to drought and salt stress tolerance, osmotic adjustment, and grain and root traits.