Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are a large family of zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide. They participate in a variety of biological processes, including respiration, calcification, acid-base balance, bone resorption, and the formation of aqueous humor, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and gastric acid. They show extensive diversity in tissue distribution and in their subcellular localization. This gene encodes a glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol-anchored membrane isozyme expressed on the luminal surfaces of pulmonary (and certain other) capillaries and proximal renal tubules. Its exact function is not known; however, it may have a role in inherited renal abnormalities of bicarbonate transport. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in mice demonstrated that the CA4 gene was identified as a key gene upregulated in a specific endothelial cell subpopulation (Endothelial Cells-2) during myocardial infarction using single-cell RNA sequencing analysis [Mao et al. DOI:10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.151820].