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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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GUCA2B
guanylate cyclase activator 2B
Chromosome 1 · 1p34.2
NCBI Gene: 2981Ensembl: ENSG00000044012.4HGNC: HGNC:4683UniProt: Q16661
33PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingextracellular exosomeguanylate cyclase activator activityextracellular regioncorneal ulcerhepatitis B virus infectionsystemic lupus erythematosushypertension
✦AI Summary

GUCA2B (guanylate cyclase activator 2B) encodes uroguanylin, an endogenous peptide hormone that activates the intestinal guanylate cyclase-C (GUCY2C) receptor to regulate fluid and electrolyte transport 1. This hormone functions as both an endocrine and paracrine regulator of intestinal salt-water balance and is expressed by specialized BEST4+ absorptive cells in the human intestinal epithelium 2. GUCA2B expression is significantly reduced in colorectal cancer tissues, where it functions as a tumor suppressor through the GUCY2C signaling axis 34. MicroRNAs hsa-miR-27a-3p and hsa-miR-182-5p promote CRC progression by downregulating GUCA2B expression 5. Beyond cancer, GUCA2B levels are decreased in inflammatory bowel disease and obesity-associated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), where uroguanylin supplementation mitigates hepatic steatosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and fibrosis 61. Post-bariatric surgery increases GUCA2B levels in parallel with metabolic improvements. Additionally, specific GUCA2B haplotypes are associated with essential hypertension susceptibility 7, and elevated uroguanylin after sleeve gastrectomy correlates with reduced dietary fat preference, suggesting roles in satiety and food preference regulation 8.

Sources cited
1
GUCA2B expression is decreased in obesity-associated NAFLD; uroguanylin diminishes lipotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and fibrosis
PMID: 37517791
2
GUCA2B is expressed in BEST4+ specialized absorptive cells with predicted roles in pH regulation and electrolyte/water secretion
PMID: 38557358
3
GUCA2B expression is significantly reduced in colorectal cancer tissues and functions as a hub-gene with diagnostic potential
PMID: 35151227
4
GUCA2B and GUCY2C signaling are downregulated in inflammatory bowel disease; negative correlation with inflammatory cytokines
PMID: 25979109
5
Specific GUCA2B gene haplotypes (C-A and C-A-G) are associated with essential hypertension susceptibility
PMID: 18037771
6
GUCA2B (uroguanylin) functions through GUCY2C to regulate intestinal proliferation, metabolism, and barrier function; loss increases colon cancer susceptibility
PMID: 27688649
7
MicroRNAs hsa-miR-27a-3p and hsa-miR-182-5p downregulate GUCA2B expression and promote colorectal cancer cell proliferation
PMID: 38767504
8
GUCA2B levels increase after sleeve gastrectomy and correlate inversely with dietary fat preference through gustatory regulation
PMID: 34990711
Disease Associationsⓘ20
corneal ulcerOpen Targets
0.24Weak
hepatitis B virus infectionOpen Targets
0.24Weak
systemic lupus erythematosusOpen Targets
0.19Weak
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.14Weak
cardiovascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
focal segmental glomerulosclerosisOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
familial idiopathic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
IGA glomerulonephritisOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
nephrotic syndromeOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
nail-patella-like renal diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy type 1Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
glomerulopathy with fibronectin deposits 2Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
Barrett's esophagusOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
ulcerative colitisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
glomerulopathy with fibronectin deposits 1Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
primary hyperoxaluria type 3Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
autosomal dominant progressive nephropathy with hypertensionOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
EMDProtein interaction100%GUCY2CProtein interaction83%NPR3Protein interaction80%GUCA1BProtein interaction71%GUCA2AProtein interaction64%RASAL2Shared pathway33%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Heart
0%
Lung
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Ovary
0%
Brain
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
GUCA2BEMDGUCY2CNPR3GUCA1BGUCA2ARASAL2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB1UYA · NMR
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.04LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.08Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.53 [0.29–1.04]
RankingsWhere GUCA2B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #11,347of 20,598
    Most Researched33
  • #10,318of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.04
Genes detectedGUCA2B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Uroguanylin prevents hepatic steatosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and fibrosis in obesity-associated NAFLD.
PMID: 37517791
Metabolism · 2023
1.00
2
BEST4
PMID: 38557358
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol · 2024
0.90
3
Prediction and validation of GUCA2B as the hub-gene in colorectal cancer based on co-expression network analysis: In-silico and in-vivo study.
PMID: 35151227
Biomed Pharmacother · 2022
0.80
4
The guanylate cyclase-C signaling pathway is down-regulated in inflammatory bowel disease.
PMID: 25979109
Scand J Gastroenterol · 2015
0.70
5
Haplotype-based case-control study of the association between the guanylate cyclase activator 2B (GUCA2B, Uroguanylin) gene and essential hypertension.
PMID: 18037771
Hypertens Res · 2007
0.60