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 and plays an important role in regulating heartbeat. It associates with three other G-protein-activated potassium channels to form a heteromultimeric pore-forming complex that also couples to neurotransmitter receptors in the brain and whereby channel activation can inhibit action potential firing by hyperpolarizing the plasma membrane. These multimeric G-protein-gated inwardly-rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels may play a role in the pathophysiology of epilepsy, addiction, Down's syndrome, ataxia, and Parkinson's disease. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct proteins.KCNJ3 (Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily J Member 3) is a Protein Coding gene. Diseases associated with KCNJ3 include Andersen Syndrome and Leber Congenital Amaurosis 16. Among its related pathways are Serotonergic synapse and GABAergic synapse. GO annotations related to this gene include inward rectifier potassium channel activity and G-protein activated inward rectifier potassium channel activity. An important paralog of this gene is KCNJ5.