The Slo1 channel is a novel potassium channel that is regulated by both Ca2+ and voltage. It is a homolog to the pH and voltage-regulated Slo3 channel. Four distinct subunits composing the KCNMB family are known to regulate the function and expression of Slo1 channels (3).
Slo1 has been shown to be involved in neurotransmitter release and ethanol response. It has been reported that SLO1 also has a critical role is muscles- the inactivation of the slo-1 gene in muscles leased to phenotypes similar to those cause by mutations of the dystrophin homologue dys-1 (4).