This gene encodes a multipass membrane protein that comprises the pore subunit of the voltage-gated A-type potassium channel, which functions in the repolarization of membrane action potentials. Activity of voltage-gated potassium channels is important in a number of physiological processes, among them the regulation of neurotransmitter release, heart rate, insulin secretion, and smooth muscle contraction. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2013].