HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
25 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
GSTM3
glutathione S-transferase mu 3
Chromosome 1 · 1p13.3
NCBI Gene: 2947Ensembl: ENSG00000134202.13HGNC: HGNC:4635UniProt: P21266
221PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
glutathione transferase activityprotein bindingenzyme bindingidentical protein bindingcystic fibrosisneoplasmnasopharyngeal carcinomaesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
✦AI Summary

GSTM3 (glutathione S-transferase mu 3) is a phase II detoxifying enzyme that catalyzes glutathione conjugation to exogenous and endogenous electrophiles 1. The protein functions in cellular detoxification and xenobiotic metabolism, with particular relevance at tissue barriers including the testis and brain. Beyond canonical detoxification roles, GSTM3 has emerged as a critical regulator of ferroptosis—a form of iron-dependent cell death. In hepatocellular carcinoma, zone 3-specific GSTM3 expression is required for efficient tumor initiation, partly through ferroptosis inhibition 2. Conversely, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, GSTM3 paradoxically enhances radiosensitivity by promoting radiation-induced ferroptosis through mechanisms involving USP14/FASN stabilization and GPX4 suppression 3. Similarly, GSTM3 inhibition by the natural compound echinatin triggers ferroptosis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma 4. GSTM3 also regulates reactive oxygen species levels and oxidative stress responses 1. Genetic polymorphisms in GSTM3 associates with cancer risk; the A/B polymorphism is associated with decreased head and neck cancer risk 5. Higher GSTM3 levels correlate with asymptomatic disease in parasitic infection contexts 6. These findings indicate GSTM3 functions as a context-dependent modulator of cell death pathways relevant to cancer development and treatment.

Sources cited
1
Zone 3 genes Gstm3 and Gstm2 are required for efficient HCC initiation through ferroptosis inhibition
PMID: 41196951
2
GSTM3 enhances radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by promoting ferroptosis through USP14/FASN axis and GPX4 suppression
PMID: 38228715
3
GSTM3 belongs to phase II xenobiotic detoxifying enzymes and regulates tumorigenesis, metastasis, chemoresistance, and ROS
PMID: 33116892
4
GSTM3 inhibition by echinatin triggers ferroptosis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma through ROS and MAPK signaling
PMID: 38833947
5
GSTM3 A/B polymorphism is associated with decreased risk of head and neck cancer
PMID: 24416175
6
Higher GSTM3 levels are significantly higher in asymptomatic versus symptomatic neurocysticercosis subjects
PMID: 27021019
7
Gstm3 expression is upregulated in hepatic A1CF overexpression models that develop HCC
PMID: 33445170
8
Gstm3 is differentially methylated in bronchopulmonary dysplasia with reciprocal changes in expression
PMID: 25387348
Disease Associationsⓘ20
cystic fibrosisOpen Targets
0.38Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
nasopharyngeal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
renal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
COVID-19Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
nonpapillary renal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
pachyonychia congenitaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
urinary bladder carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
smoking behaviorOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
clear cell renal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
oral squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
cervical cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ADH1BProtein interaction96%GSTA1Protein interaction95%PRDX6Protein interaction93%GGT7Protein interaction93%CYP3A4Protein interaction93%GSTZ1Protein interaction92%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Heart
56%
Brain
43%
Lung
14%
Liver
9%
Bone Marrow
6%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
GSTM3ADH1BGSTA1PRDX6GGT7CYP3A4GSTZ1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB3GTU · 2.80 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.22LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.84 [0.59–1.22]
RankingsWhere GSTM3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #1,857of 20,598
    Most Researched221 · top 10%
  • #12,859of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.22
Genes detectedGSTM3
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
25▼
1
The origin of hepatocellular carcinoma depends on metabolic zonation.
PMID: 41196951
Science · 2026
1.00
2
GSTM3 enhances radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by promoting radiation-induced ferroptosis through USP14/FASN axis and GPX4.
PMID: 38228715
Br J Cancer · 2024
0.90
3
miR-375 protects against acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure by orchestrating pharmacogene expression.
PMID: 40598772
Mol Ther · 2025
0.80
4
Apobec1 complementation factor overexpression promotes hepatic steatosis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular cancer.
PMID: 33445170
J Clin Invest · 2021
0.80
5
GSTM1, GSTM3 and GSTT1 gene variants and risk of benign prostate hyperplasia in North India.
PMID: 19407363
Dis Markers · 2009
0.72