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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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GFRA3
GDNF family receptor alpha 3
Chromosome 5 · 5q31.2
NCBI Gene: 2676Ensembl: ENSG00000146013.13HGNC: HGNC:4245UniProt: O60609
31PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Receptor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingplasma membraneglial cell-derived neurotrophic factor receptor activityglial cell-derived neurotrophic factor receptor signaling pathwayEczematoid dermatitisprostate cancerFamilial prostate cancerallergic rhinitis
✦AI Summary

GFRA3 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored receptor for artemin (ARTN), a member of the GDNF family of neurotrophic factors 1. In normal physiology, GFRA3 mediates artemin binding to support survival and neurite outgrowth of sensory and sympathetic peripheral neurons through RET receptor co-signaling 1. However, emerging evidence reveals critical roles in cancer pathology. The ARTN-GFRA3 axis activates PI3K/AKT and ERK signaling through KRAS, inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion in gastric cancer cells 2. High GFRA3 expression correlates with poor prognosis, including shorter survival and advanced disease stage 2. Tumor-derived artemin secreted by splenic erythroblast-like cells promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression, with elevated serum artemin predicting unfavorable outcomes 3. ARTN signaling also confers drug resistance to multiple therapeutic agents including trastuzumab and paclitaxel 1. Additionally, GFRA3 expression increases sensitivity to cuproptosis-induced cell death in lung adenocarcinoma 4. Recent studies indicate GFRA3 expression on hiPSC-derived neurons enhances synaptic maturity when appropriate ligands are supplied 5. While GFRA3 mutations are not associated with Hirschsprung disease 6, the receptor shows minimal expression in glioblastoma 7.

Sources cited
1
GFRA3 is a co-receptor for artemin signaling via RET; artemin promotes sympathetic neuron survival and neurite outgrowth; artemin triggers oncogenicity, metastasis, and drug resistance
PMID: 28937965
2
High GFRA3 expression associates with poor gastric cancer prognosis; ARTN-GFRA3 axis activates KRAS-PI3K/AKT-ERK signaling to induce EMT, migration, and invasion
PMID: 38958711
3
Tumor-induced splenic cells secrete artemin; artemin blockade inhibits HCC growth; elevated serum artemin correlates with poor prognosis in HCC patients
PMID: 29606356
4
GFRA3 expression is upregulated during cuproptosis induction; GFRA3 knockdown facilitates cuproptosis-induced cell death in lung adenocarcinoma
PMID: 36353226
5
GFRA3 is detected on hiPSC-derived neurons; supplementing culture with appropriate ligands enhances neuronal health and synaptic maturity
PMID: 40845849
6
GFRA3 is expressed in peripheral nervous system and developing nerves; variants are not associated with Hirschsprung disease
PMID: 10978357
7
GFRA3 expression is almost absent in human glioblastoma tissue
PMID: 41015934
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Eczematoid dermatitisOpen Targets
0.16Weak
Familial prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
allergic rhinitisOpen Targets
0.11Weak
Congenital ptosisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
migraine disorderOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
jaw-winking syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Marcus-Gunn syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
ptosis, hereditary congenital, 1Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
chromosome 22q11.2 microduplication syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
smoking initiationOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
mathematical abilityOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
familial episodic pain syndrome with predominantly lower limb involvementOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
congenital fibrosis of the extraocular musclesOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Ptosis - strabismus - ectopic pupilsOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
ptosis-strabismus-ectopic pupils syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
syndromic orbital border hypoplasiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
ptosis-vocal cord paralysis syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
GDNFProtein interaction100%GFRA1Protein interaction100%GFRA4Protein interaction81%NTRK1Protein interaction77%PSPNProtein interaction73%RETProtein interaction69%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Ovary
27%
Brain
16%
Liver
7%
Lung
3%
Bone Marrow
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
GFRA3GDNFGFRA1GFRA4NTRK1PSPNRET
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB2GH0 · 1.92 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.83LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.01Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.53 [0.35–0.83]
RankingsWhere GFRA3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #11,715of 20,598
    Most Researched31
  • #7,070of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.83
Genes detectedGFRA3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Tumor-Induced Generation of Splenic Erythroblast-like Ter-Cells Promotes Tumor Progression.
PMID: 29606356
Cell · 2018
1.00
2
Artemin promotes oncogenicity, metastasis and drug resistance in cancer cells.
PMID: 28937965
Rev Neurosci · 2018
0.90
3
A new art to treating osteoarthritis pain?
PMID: 37460008
Osteoarthritis Cartilage · 2023
0.80
4
ARTN-GFRA3 axis induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotypes, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells via KRAS signaling.
PMID: 38958711
Neoplasma · 2024
0.70
5
Identification and validation of a novel cuproptosis-related signature as a prognostic model for lung adenocarcinoma.
PMID: 36353226
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · 2022
0.60