HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
KLC3
kinesin light chain 3
Chromosome 19 · 19q13.32
NCBI Gene: 147700Ensembl: ENSG00000104892.18HGNC: HGNC:20717UniProt: Q6P597
42PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingkinesin bindingmicrotubule-based movementspermatogenesisAlzheimer diseasegastroesophageal reflux diseasexeroderma pigmentosum group Dpoisoning
✦AI Summary

KLC3 (kinesin light chain 3) is a microtubule-associated motor protein with diverse physiological and pathological roles. Originally characterized for spermiogenesis, where it participates in sperm midpiece development through interaction with mitochondria and outer dense fibers 1, recent evidence reveals broader oncogenic functions. In ovarian cancer, KLC3 is significantly upregulated and promotes cell proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through COL3A1 interaction 2. Similarly, in gastric cancer, KLC3 stabilizes the fructose transporter SLC2A5, activating MAPK signaling and EMT 3. Beyond cancer, KLC3 regulates axonemal glutamylation through RAB11FIP5 interaction at basal bodies, contributing to cyst progression in polycystic kidney disease 4. Additionally, obesity-associated alterations in KLC3 expression link to Alzheimer's disease-related pathways 5. KLC3 also appears relevant in colorectal cancer drug resistance and may intersect with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis genetics 67. However, targeted mouse models revealed that KLC3 inactivation surprisingly has no impact on fertility 1, questioning its necessity in reproduction. These findings establish KLC3 as a pleiotropic oncogenic driver in multiple cancer types while regulating ciliary function and metabolic processes.

Sources cited
1
KLC3 is upregulated in ovarian cancer and promotes proliferation, migration, and EMT through PI3K/AKT signaling via COL3A1
PMID: 40242978
2
KLC3 regulates axonemal glutamylation via RAB11FIP5 interaction and contributes to polycystic kidney disease cyst progression
PMID: 41225582
3
KLC3 knockout and inactivation in mice have no detectable impact on male or female fertility, despite previous associations with sperm parameters
PMID: 37776549
4
Obesity is associated with altered KLC3 expression linked to Alzheimer's disease-related pathways
PMID: 36811231
5
KLC3 drives gastric cancer progression by stabilizing SLC2A5 to activate MAPK signaling and promote EMT
PMID: 41214559
6
KLC3 is identified as a 5-fluorouracil resistance-related differentially expressed gene in colorectal adenocarcinoma prognostic models
PMID: 39130472
7
KLC3 is identified as a candidate gene with direct relationship to known hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis genes in protein-protein interaction network analysis
PMID: 35902954
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.28Weak
gastroesophageal reflux diseaseOpen Targets
0.28Weak
xeroderma pigmentosum group DOpen Targets
0.18Weak
poisoningOpen Targets
0.17Weak
adverse effectOpen Targets
0.16Weak
response to stimulusOpen Targets
0.16Weak
xeroderma pigmentosumOpen Targets
0.12Weak
melanocytic nevusOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
isolated asymptomatic elevation of creatine phosphokinaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
infertilityOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
pentosuriaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Abnormality of the gastrointestinal tractOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
esophageal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
cystOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
MAPK8Protein interaction100%MAPK9Protein interaction99%KIF1AProtein interaction98%SNCAProtein interaction98%HAP1Protein interaction98%CLSTN1Protein interaction98%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
72%
Brain
59%
Liver
44%
Ovary
26%
Heart
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KLC3MAPK8MAPK9KIF1ASNCAHAP1CLSTN1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q6P597
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.62LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.33 [1.10–1.62]
RankingsWhere KLC3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,893of 20,598
    Most Researched42
  • #15,746of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.62
Genes detectedKLC3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
KLC3 activates PI3K/AKT signaling and promotes ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration through COL3A1.
PMID: 40242978
Oncol Rep · 2025
1.00
2
KLC3 regulates axonemal glutamylation via RAB11/FIP5 in polycystic kidney disease.
PMID: 41225582
Cell Commun Signal · 2025
0.90
3
Targeted mutation and inactivation of the kinesin light chain 3 protein-encoding gene have no impact on mouse fertility†.
PMID: 37776549
Biol Reprod · 2024
0.80
4
Obesity impacts the expression of Alzheimer's disease-related genes: The Framingham Heart Study.
PMID: 36811231
Alzheimers Dement · 2023
0.70
5
NBAS, a gene involved in cytotoxic degranulation, is recurrently mutated in pediatric hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
PMID: 35902954
J Hematol Oncol · 2022
0.60