KCNJ1 and hereditary disease: The critical importance of electrolyte transport in the TAL is underscored by genetic disorders such as Bartter syndrome, where mutations in genes encoding NKCC2 (SLC12A1), ROMK (KCNJ1), ClC-Kb (CLCNKB), or Barttin (BSND) result in severe renal water loss, electrolyte imbalance, and hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis [29].