KCNJ15 Gene

HGNC Family	Ion channels
Name	potassium channel, inwardly rectifying subfamily J, member 15
Description	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 has a greater tendency to allow potassium to flow into a cell rather than out of a cell. Eight transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Feb 2013]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n KCNJ15 encodes the inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir4.2, a protein that plays diverse roles in cellular physiology and pathophysiology. In pancreatic β‐cells, increased expression of KCNJ15—observed with specific risk alleles associated with type 2 diabetes—leads to suppressed insulin secretion, whereas its downregulation enhances insulin release, indicating a key role in glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion and diabetes susceptibility."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In the gastric mucosa, KCNJ15 is highly expressed in parietal cells; it is stored in intracellular vesicles under resting conditions and translocates to the apical membrane upon stimulation to provide the necessary K⁺ for the H⁺/K⁺‐ATPase–mediated acid secretion—its knockdown abolishing histamine-induced acid secretion."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Furthermore, KCNJ15 is instrumental in mediating directional cell migration in response to weak electric fields (galvanotaxis); its activity is modulated by intracellular polyamines such that disruption of KCNJ15 expression or its polyamine binding impairs the polarization of signaling molecules critical for migration."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In oncologic contexts, aberrant KCNJ15 expression has been linked to aggressive tumor phenotypes. For instance, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, elevated levels of KCNJ15 enhance cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, correlating with poor clinical outcomes"}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ", while its inclusion as part of a multi-gene prognostic signature in bladder cancer further underscores its potential as a biomarker for adverse prognosis."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "7"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n In addition, emerging evidence from epigenomic studies suggests that differential regulation near the KCNJ15 locus may modulate apoptosis and promote host clearance of pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, thereby implicating KCNJ15 in immune responses."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "8"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Collectively, these findings highlight KCNJ15/Kir4.2 as a multifunctional potassium channel whose regulation is critical for insulin secretion, acid secretion, directed cell migration, tumor progression, and host defense.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Koji Okamoto, Naoko Iwasaki, Chisa Nishimura, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Identification of KCNJ15 as a susceptibility gene in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Hum Genet (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.12.009"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.12.009"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "20085713"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20085713"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Koji Okamoto, Naoko Iwasaki, Kent Doi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by KCNJ15, a newly identified susceptibility gene for type 2 diabetes."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Diabetes (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.2337/db11-1201"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.2337/db11-1201"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22566534"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22566534"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Wenjun He, Wensheng Liu, Catherine S Chew, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Acid secretion-associated translocation of KCNJ15 in gastric parietal cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol (2011)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1152/ajpgi.00460.2010"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00460.2010"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "21719736"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21719736"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jianye Yuan, Wensheng Liu, Serhan Karvar, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Potassium channel KCNJ15 is required for histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Physiol Cell Physiol (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1152/ajpcell.00012.2015"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00012.2015"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26108660"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26108660"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ken-Ichi Nakajima, Kan Zhu, Yao-Hui Sun, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "KCNJ15/Kir4.2 couples with polyamines to sense weak extracellular electric fields in galvanotaxis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Commun (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/ncomms9532"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms9532"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26449415"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26449415"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Shunsuke Nakamura, Mitsuro Kanda, Masahiko Koike, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "KCNJ15 Expression and Malignant Behavior of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ann Surg Oncol (2020)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1245/s10434-019-08189-8"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-019-08189-8"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "32052303"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32052303"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Xianchao Sun, Ying Zhang, Yilai Chen, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "In Silico Establishment and Validation of Novel Lipid Metabolism-Related Gene Signature in Bladder Cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oxid Med Cell Longev (2022)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1155/2022/3170950"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3170950"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "35480865"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35480865"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ricardo C H Del Rosario, Jeremie Poschmann, Carey Lim, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Histone acetylome-wide associations in immune cells from individuals with active Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Microbiol (2022)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/s41564-021-01049-w"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-021-01049-w"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "35102304"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35102304"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	IRKK, KIR1.3, KIR4.2
Proteins	KCJ15_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	3772
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Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

KCNJ15 has 5,711 functional associations with biological entities spanning 9 categories (molecular profile, organism, chemical, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA, sequence feature) extracted from 113 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for KCNJ15 from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

KCNJ15 Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Achilles Cell Line Gene Essentiality Profiles	cell lines with fitness changed by KCNJ15 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the Achilles Cell Line Gene Essentiality Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures	small molecule perturbations changing expression of KCNJ15 gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with KCNJ15 gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of KCNJ15 gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of KCNJ15 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of KCNJ15 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas	gene perturbations changing expression of KCNJ15 gene from the CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of KCNJ15 gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing KCNJ15 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with KCNJ15 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with KCNJ15 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with KCNJ15 gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with KCNJ15 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with KCNJ15 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	dbGAP Gene-Trait Associations	traits associated with KCNJ15 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the dbGAP Gene-Trait Associations dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by KCNJ15 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases associated with KCNJ15 gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with KCNJ15 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with KCNJ15 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with KCNJ15 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with KCNJ15 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	DrugBank Drug Targets	interacting drugs for KCNJ15 protein from the curated DrugBank Drug Targets dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at KCNJ15 gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of KCNJ15 gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of KCNJ15 gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing KCNJ15 from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset.
	GAD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with KCNJ15 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with KCNJ15 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of KCNJ15 gene relative to other cell lines from the GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations	biological terms co-occuring with KCNJ15 gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset.