"Two-pore domain potassium channels" (K_2P-channels) are the most recently discovered family of potassium channels, which comprises 15 members. They possess two pore-building domains per subunit and four transmembrane domains. Functional K_2P-channels are assembled as dimers, so that overall four pore domains come together to build a potassium-selective pore. In the first years after their discovery K_2P-channels have been regarded as simple, so-called "leak channels", which turned out to be difficult to investigate on a functional level. In the meantime it was found that the activity of K_2P-channels is regulated in a very complex way, e.g. by neurotransmitters, local pH changes, free fatty acids and lysophospholipids, mechanical extension of the cell membrane, temperature changes and inhalational anaesthetics. Although K_2P-channels are highly expressed in the brain, as well as in most of the other organs, their function is still unraveled. This is on one hand due to the incomplete understanding of the regulatory mechanisms and on the other hand due to the fact that K_2P-channels are insensitive to the commonly used potassium channel blockers. Selective blockers for this channel family are only available very recently.

In the last years K_2P-channels turned out to be potentially highly interesting target proteins for pharmaceutical intervention, which offer new strategic possibilities for treating numerous pathologies. The pathophysiological or clinically relevant processes respectively, involving K_2P-channels, comprise amongst others neuroprotection, inhalational anaesthesia, regulation of the breathing, nociception, epilepsy, cardiac arrhythmia, renal perturbance of the salt-water-balance, pulmonary hypertension, cell proliferation and cancer genesis as well as endocrine perturbances.

The aim of this research consortium is to combine the expertise of Germany's leading working groups in the field of K_2P-channels to a common project: Understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of K_2P-channels as a basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies.