The product of this gene belongs to the potassium channel KCNE family. Potassium ion channels are essential to many cellular functions and show a high degree of diversity, varying in their electrophysiologic and pharmacologic properties. This gene encodes a transmembrane protein known to associate with the product of the KVLQT1 gene to form the delayed rectifier potassium channel. Mutation in this gene are associated with both Jervell and Lange-Nielsen and Romano-Ward forms of long-QT syndrome. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been identified.