Potassium channels are present in most mammalian cells, where they participate in a wide range of physiologic responses. The protein encoded by this gene is an integral membrane protein and inward-rectifier type potassium channel. The encoded protein, which has a greater tendency to allow potassium to flow into a cell rather than out of a cell, is controlled by G-proteins. Defects in this gene may be a cause of J-wave syndromes and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). [provided by RefSeq, May 2012]
Forensic Context
A study in humans demonstrated that the KCNJ8 is a potassium channel gene highly expressed in the pericytes of the corpus cavernosum [Zhao et al. DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-31950-9]. In a separate human autopsy study of sudden cardiac death, the KCNJ8 was identified as a down-regulated ion transport regulator in the left ventricular myocardium of arrhythmic deaths compared to nonarrhythmic deaths [Caudal et al. DOI:10.1016/j.jacep.2024.08.013].