K-Cl cotransporters are proteins that lower intracellular chloride concentrations below the electrochemical equilibrium potential. The protein encoded by this gene is an integral membrane K-Cl cotransporter that can function in either a net efflux or influx pathway, depending on the chemical concentration gradients of potassium and chloride. The encoded protein can act as a homomultimer, or as a heteromultimer with other K-Cl cotransporters, to maintain chloride homeostasis in neurons. Alternative splicing results in two transcript variants encoding different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2008].
Function: Mediates electroneutral potassium-chloride cotransport in mature neurons. Transport occurs under isotonic conditions, but is activated 20-fold by cell swelling. Important for Cl(-) homeostasis in neurons.