Association of blood pressure with genetic variation in WNK kinases in a white European population.

Mutations in a recently discovered family of protein kinases are responsible for an autosomal-dominant form of inherited hypertension, known as Gordon’s syndrome or pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII).1 The phenotype also includes hyperkalemia and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis.1 The name of this kinase family is WNK (with no lysine [K]) because of the absence of a lysine in subdomain II of the enzymes.2 WNK1 and WNK4, located in human chromosomes 12 and 17, respectively, are predominantly expressed in the distal convoluted tubules and the collecting ducts of the kidney.1