Kcnk9f/f floxed mice possess loxP sites flanking exon 2 of the potassium channel, subfamily K, member 9 (Kcnk9) gene. Kckn9 is a pH-dependent, voltage-insensitive potassium channel that mediates background potassium currents responsible for setting resting membrane potential. Kcnk9 is expressed in cerebellar granule cells, locus coeruleus, motor neurons, pontine nuclei, some cells in the neocortex, habenula, olfactory bulb granule cells, and cells in the external plexiform layer of the olfactory bulb. Mice that are homozygous for this allele are viable and fertile. Mice that are homozygous for this allele are viable and fertile. When bred to mice that express tissue-specific Cre recombinase, resulting offspring will have exon 2 deleted in the cre-expressing tissues.
When bred to Tg(Hsp70-1-cre)1Arge mice expressing cre at the 2 cells stage, Kcnk9-/- mice are normal. When bred to Kcnk3f/f mice (Stock No. 026191) prior to cre-excision, double KO mice exhibit phenotypic similarity to the human syndrome bilateral idiopathic primary hyperaldosteronism,caused by an increase in aldosterone production by the adrenal glands that is resistant to salt suppression.
