Potassium (K⁺) channels are highly conserved proteins found in all domains of life, that allow for selective movement of K⁺ ions across membranes. Despite their broad distribution, the physiological roles of individual members of this diverse channel family have only been thoroughly explored in eukaryotic systems, where they have critical functions in a variety of cellular processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that bacterial K⁺ channels have integral roles in electrical signaling, information propagation, and intercellular communication. We discuss how these novel findings impact our understanding of bacterial physiology and the need to continue to explore the native roles of ion channels in microbes.

钾 (K ⁺ ) 通道是在生命的所有领域中发现的高度保守的蛋白质，它允许 K ⁺离子选择性地跨膜移动。尽管分布广泛，但这一多样化通道家族的个体成员的生理作用仅在真核系统中得到彻底探索，在真核系统中它们在各种细胞过程中具有关键功能。最近的研究表明，细菌 K ⁺通道在电信号、信息传播和细胞间通讯中具有不可或缺的作用。我们讨论了这些新发现如何影响我们对细菌生理学的理解以及继续探索离子通道在微生物中的天然作用的必要性。