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GeneE
10 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 14 days ago
β“˜GeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
FNTA
farnesyltransferase, CAAX box, subunit alpha
Chromosome 8 Β· 8p11.21
NCBI Gene: 2339Ensembl: ENSG00000168522.14HGNC: HGNC:3782UniProt: P49354
79PubMed Papers
20Diseases
2Drugs
1Pathogenic Variants
CLINICAL
FDA Approved Target
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein farnesyltransferase activityprotein farnesylationprotein geranylgeranyltransferase activityprotein farnesyltransferase complexHutchinson-Gilford progeria syndromeneurodegenerative diseaseprogeroid syndromemyelodysplastic syndrome
✦AI Summary

FNTA encodes the alpha subunit of farnesyltransferase (FTase), an essential component of both farnesyltransferase and geranylgeranyltransferase complexes that catalyze protein prenylation 1. The enzyme transfers farnesyl or geranylgeranyl groups to proteins containing C-terminal CAAX motifs, including RAS proteins, nuclear lamins, and other regulatory proteins 12. FNTA shows remarkable evolutionary conservation, with 93% amino acid identity between human and rat sequences 1. The protein plays critical roles in cellular signaling through prenylation of key substrates like RAC1, which is essential for NADPH oxidase activation and ROS production 3. FNTA-mediated prenylation is required for proper membrane localization of target proteins, as demonstrated by studies showing that FTase inhibition or CAAX motif mutations disrupt membrane targeting 2. Clinically, FNTA has emerging significance in cancer progression, where it facilitates KRAS plasma membrane distribution and downstream MEK/ERK signaling activation in gastric cancer 4. In diabetic retinopathy, increased FNTA expression contributes to RAC1-mediated oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage 3. The gene maps to chromosome 8-q11, with several related pseudogenes distributed across other chr8 1.

Sources cited
1
FNTA encodes farnesyltransferase alpha subunit with 93% conservation between human and rat, transfers farnesyl groups to CAAX proteins including RAS and lamins, maps to chromosome 8p22-q11
PMID: 8276393
2
FNTA interacts with PALM2 and is required for membrane localization of prenylated proteins, with FTase inhibition disrupting this process
PMID: 37328063
3
FNTA prenylates RAC1 for NADPH oxidase activation and ROS production, with increased expression in diabetic retinopathy contributing to mitochondrial damage
PMID: 31300985
4
FNTA facilitates KRAS plasma membrane distribution and MEK/ERK signaling activation in gastric cancer progression
PMID: 40353746
⚠Limited data available β€” This gene has 4 indexed publications. Summary and analysis may be incomplete.
Disease Associationsβ“˜20
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndromeOpen Targets
0.55Moderate
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
progeroid syndromeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
myelodysplastic syndromeOpen Targets
0.35Weak
hepatitis D virus infectionOpen Targets
0.34Weak
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.34Weak
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.29Weak
chronic myelomonocytic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.28Weak
acute myeloid leukemia by FAB classificationOpen Targets
0.26Weak
metastasisOpen Targets
0.26Weak
leukemiaOpen Targets
0.20Weak
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Weak
melanomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
chronic myelogenous leukemiaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
pancreatic carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
medulloblastomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
ParagangliomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
primitive neuroectodermal tumorOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants1
NM_002027.3(FNTA):c.863del (p.Gly288fs)Pathogenic
Hypercholesterolemia, familial, 1
β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†2022β†’ Residue 288
View on ClinVar β†—
Drug Targets2
LONAFARNIBApproved
Protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor
TIPIFARNIBPhase III
Protein farnesyltransferase inhibitor
acute myeloid leukemia by FAB classification
Related Genes
CHURC1-FNTBProtein interaction99%RCE1Protein interaction97%ZMPSTE24Protein interaction96%DHDDSProtein interaction95%PDSS1Protein interaction94%PDSS2Protein interaction92%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Ovary
88%
Liver
78%
Heart
74%
Lung
74%
Bone Marrow
58%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
FNTACHURC1-FNTBRCE1ZMPSTE24DHDDSPDSS1PDSS2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB2H6F Β· 1.50 Γ… Β· X-ray
View on RCSB β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
1.43LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.82 [0.49–1.43]
RankingsWhere FNTA stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #5,993of 20,598
    Most Researched79
  • #966of 1,025
    FDA-Approved Drug Targets1
  • #4,968of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants1
  • #14,676of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.43
Genes detectedFNTA
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
10β–Ό
1
METTL3 Promotes Gastric Cancer Progression via Modulation of FNTA-Mediated KRAS/ERK Signaling Activation.
PMID: 40353746
Mol Cancer Res Β· 2025
1.00
2
cDNA cloning of the two subunits of human CAAX farnesyltransferase and chromosomal mapping of FNTA and FNTB loci and related sequences.
PMID: 8276393
Genomics Β· 1993
0.90
3
Three-dimensional morphological analysis of the femoral neck torsion angle-an anatomical study.
PMID: 32460899
J Orthop Surg Res Β· 2020
0.80
4
EUS-guided fine needle tissue acquisition by using high negative pressure suction for the evaluation of solid masses: a pilot study.
PMID: 16246694
Gastrointest Endosc Β· 2005
0.70
5
The Hip Morphology Changes with Ageing in Asian Population.
PMID: 30363710
Biomed Res Int Β· 2018
0.60