Enables gap junction channel activity. Involved in epididymis development and purine ribonucleotide transport. Located in gap junction and lateral plasma membrane. Part of protein-containing complex. Biomarker of autoimmune thyroiditis and extrahepatic cholestasis. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease X-linked dominant 1. Orthologous to human GJB1 (gap junction protein beta 1). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]