KCNJ4 variants disrupt inward-rectifier potassium channel function and cause refractory epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder with a strong genetic basis, most frequently arising from ion channel dysfunction. Although multiple inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels have been implicated in epileptogenesis, the contribution of KCNJ4, which encodes the Kir2.3 channel, has not previously been established in human epilepsy. The present study aimed to identify pathogenic KCNJ4 variants and to elucidate their functional consequences in the context of epilepsy.

Trio whole exome sequencing was performed in four unrelated individuals with refractory epilepsy and neurodevelopmental abnormalities. Identified KCNJ4 variants were evaluated for rarity and inheritance patterns. Functional consequences were assessed using two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings in Xenopus laevis oocytes coexpressing wild-type or mutant Kir2.3 together with Kir2.1. Protein expression levels were examined by Western blot analysis to exclude effects attributable to altered channel expression or trafficking.

We identified four rare heterozygous missense variants in KCNJ4 (Gly136Ser, Val206Met, Met293Lys, and Glu384Lys), all of which were absent from public population databases. Clinically, affected individuals exhibited a broad phenotypic spectrum ranging from isolated epilepsy to severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Electrophysiological analyses revealed variant-specific functional alterations; the Gly136Ser and Glu384Lys variants significantly increased inwardly rectifying potassium currents, consistent with gain-of-function effects, whereas the Val206Met and Met293Lys variants markedly reduced current amplitudes, indicating loss of function. These functional changes were independent of channel protein expression levels.

Our findings establish KCNJ4 as a novel epilepsy-associated gene and demonstrate that both gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms of Kir2.3 can contribute to epileptogenesis. This study expands the genetic landscape of epilepsy and highlights the critical role of inward-rectifier potassium channel regulation in neuronal excitability, with potential implications for mechanism-based therapeutic strategies.