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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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CREB3L4
cAMP responsive element binding protein 3 like 4
Chromosome 1 · 1q21.3
NCBI Gene: 148327Ensembl: ENSG00000143578.17HGNC: HGNC:18854UniProt: Q8TEY5
30PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase IIendoplasmic reticulumprotein bindingGolgi apparatusprostate carcinomaplacental retentionprostate cancerazoospermia
✦AI Summary

CREB3L4 is a transcription factor belonging to the CREB/ATF family that functions as a key regulator of cellular stress responses and cancer progression. As a member of the CREB3 protein family, CREB3L4 is activated through regulated intramembrane proteolysis during endoplasmic reticulum stress and plays a pivotal role in the unfolded protein response 1. The protein binds DNA sequence-specifically and regulates transcription of target genes including VEGFA and PCNA 23. Mechanistically, CREB3L4 directly interacts with the androgen receptor, enhancing its binding to androgen response elements and promoting expression of AR target genes 4. In male germ cells, CREB3L4 is highly expressed in postmeiotic stages and contributes to normal spermatogenesis, though its loss does not completely compromise fertility 5. Clinically, CREB3L4 is significantly implicated in multiple cancers. Elevated CREB3L4 expression correlates with poor prognosis in gastric cancer, where it promotes angiogenesis and tumor progression via VEGFA transcriptional activation 2. In breast cancer, CREB3L4 promotes proliferation through PCNA upregulation and p27 degradation via the SKP2 axis 36. Mendelian randomization studies identified genetically elevated CREB3L4 levels as causally associated with increased prostate cancer risk 7, supporting its therapeutic potential as a cancer treatment target.

Sources cited
1
CREB3L4 is a member of the CREB3 family activated during endoplasmic reticulum stress through regulated intramembrane proteolysis and plays pivotal roles in cellular protein metabolism and cancer development
PMID: 37595431
2
CREB3L4 promotes gastric cancer progression and angiogenesis by transcriptionally activating VEGFA expression, and its knockdown suppresses tumor growth
PMID: 33637885
3
CREB3L4 is upregulated in breast cancer tissues, directly binds the PCNA promoter, and its knockdown suppresses proliferation and promotes apoptosis
PMID: 32026099
4
CREB3L4 is upregulated by androgen signaling in prostate cancer cells, directly interacts with the androgen receptor, and promotes AR-dependent gene expression and cell proliferation
PMID: 28338058
5
CREB3L4 is highly expressed in testicular postmeiotic germ cells and plays a role in male germ cell development, though its loss does not completely compromise spermatogenesis
PMID: 16107712
6
CREB3L4/AIbZIP promotes breast cancer cell proliferation via the SKP2-p27 axis, regulating G1-S transition through protein degradation
PMID: 38236913
7
Genetically proxied CREB3L4 levels show causal association with increased prostate cancer risk, identified through Mendelian randomization in PRACTICAL and FinnGen consortiums
PMID: 39994764
8
CREB3L4 is primarily detected in the human prostate and has been implicated in cancer, with structural homology to mouse Tisp40 which functions in spermatogenesis
PMID: 22829733
Disease Associationsⓘ20
prostate carcinomaOpen Targets
0.21Weak
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.16Weak
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.10Weak
azoospermiaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
schizophreniaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
partial chromosome Y deletionOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 25Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 8Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 71Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 51Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 12Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 1Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 20Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 48Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 54Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure, X-linked, 3Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 50Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
spermatogenic failure 57Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
HCFC1Protein interaction98%PPARGC1AProtein interaction95%CRTC2Protein interaction94%GSK3BProtein interaction94%ATF1Protein interaction93%ATF4Protein interaction93%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Liver
81%
Brain
56%
Bone Marrow
50%
Lung
33%
Heart
30%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
CREB3L4HCFC1PPARGC1ACRTC2GSK3BATF1ATF4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q8TEY5
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.98LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.72 [0.53–0.98]
RankingsWhere CREB3L4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #11,892of 20,598
    Most Researched30
  • #9,413of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.98
Genes detectedCREB3L4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Computational analysis of human and mouse CREB3L4 Protein.
PMID: 22829733
Bioinformation · 2012
1.00
2
Regulatory mechanisms of the cAMP-responsive element binding protein 3 (CREB3) family in cancers.
PMID: 37595431
Biomed Pharmacother · 2023
0.90
3
Proteome-wide Mendelian randomization identifies causal plasma proteins in prostate cancer development.
PMID: 39994764
Hum Genomics · 2025
0.80
4
CREB3L4 promotes angiogenesis and tumor progression in gastric cancer through regulating VEGFA expression.
PMID: 33637885
Cancer Gene Ther · 2022
0.70
5
The Novel Transcription Factor CREB3L4 Contributes to the Progression of Human Breast Carcinoma.
PMID: 32026099
J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia · 2020
0.60