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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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LACRT
lacritin
Chromosome 12 · 12q13.2
NCBI Gene: 90070Ensembl: ENSG00000135413.9HGNC: HGNC:16430UniProt: Q9GZZ8
63PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingcollagen bindinggrowth factor activitylaminin-1 bindingneurodegenerative diseasesynovial sarcomaAbruptio Placentaebiliary tract disease
✦AI Summary

Lacritin (LACRT) is a tear-derived growth factor that modulates secretion and maintains ocular surface homeostasis through multiple signaling mechanisms 1. Functionally, lacritin stimulates β-hexosaminidase secretion from lacrimal gland acinar cells 2 and exhibits mitogenic activity at the corneal epithelium 1. Mechanistically, lacritin binds to the corneal epithelial cell surface proteoglycan syndecan-1, a process requiring heparanase-mediated exposure of the binding site 3. This interaction triggers rapid signaling through NFAT and mTOR pathways 1, transiently accelerates macroautophagy to restore cellular homeostasis 4, and activates pertussis toxin-sensitive and FOXO-dependent signaling for epithelial healing 3. Clinically, lacritin is selectively deficient in dry eye disease, with tissue transglutaminase-dependent cross-linking reducing monomeric lacritin quantity and syndecan-1 affinity 4. Elevated tear lacritin levels, alongside lysozyme and alpha-2-glycoprotein-1, serve as biomarkers distinguishing Graves' disease patients with orbitopathy from those without 5. Therapeutic approaches using thermo-responsive lacritin fusion proteins show promise for treating dry eye disease by enhancing tear secretion in animal models 2, with phase 2 clinical trials underway 3.

Sources cited
1
Lacritin is a tear protein growth factor that stimulates basal tear secretion and exhibits mitogenic activity at corneal epithelium; binds syndecan-1 via heparanase-exposed binding sites; triggers NFAT and mTOR signaling
PMID: 18840430
2
Lacritin has prosecretory activity in lacrimal gland demonstrated by β-hexosaminidase secretion stimulation and increases tear secretion in NOD mice dry eye model
PMID: 25481446
3
Lacritin transiently accelerates macroautophagy to restore homeostasis; monomeric lacritin is selectively deficient in dry eye; tissue transglutaminase cross-linking reduces monomer quantity and syndecan-1 affinity
PMID: 26318608
4
Lacritin-syndecan-1-heparanase axis regulates basal tearing and activates FOXO-dependent signaling for epithelial healing; phase 2 clinical trial tested lacritin for dry eye disease resolution
PMID: 32274735
5
Elevated tear lacritin levels, combined with lysozyme and alpha-2-glycoprotein-1, discriminate Graves' disease patients with orbitopathy from those without (AUC 0.93)
PMID: 28419103
6
Lacritin is identified as an N-glycoprotein in human tear film associated with dry eye syndrome pathogenesis
PMID: 36677706
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.34Weak
synovial sarcomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Abruptio PlacentaeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
biliary tract diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
esophageal ulcerOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
HypocalcemiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
intracranial hemorrhageOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
tympanic membrane perforationOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
amblyopiaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Dupuytren ContractureOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
cardiac arrestOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
psoriasisOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
dry eye syndromeOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
Sjogren syndromeOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
keratitisOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
infectionOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
breast neoplasmOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
CSPG5Protein interaction91%LCN1Protein interaction75%LTFProtein interaction75%FBLN2Protein interaction73%NID1Protein interaction73%SDC1Protein interaction73%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
0%
Brain
0%
Bone Marrow
0%
Ovary
0%
Heart
0%
Liver
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
LACRTCSPG5LCN1LTFFBLN2NID1SDC1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9GZZ8
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.55LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.98 [0.64–1.55]
RankingsWhere LACRT stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #7,381of 20,598
    Most Researched63
  • #15,450of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.55
Genes detectedLACRT
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
A thermo-responsive protein treatment for dry eyes.
PMID: 25481446
J Control Release · 2015
1.00
2
Lectin-Based Affinity Enrichment and Characterization of N-Glycoproteins from Human Tear Film by Mass Spectrometry.
PMID: 36677706
Molecules · 2023
0.90
3
Genetic separation of the human lacritin gene ("LACRT") and triple A (Allgrove) syndrome on 12q13.
PMID: 12613904
Adv Exp Med Biol · 2002
0.80
4
Detection of Antimicrobial Peptides in Stratum Corneum by Mass Spectrometry.
PMID: 33921817
Int J Mol Sci · 2021
0.70
5
Establishment of a tear protein biomarker panel differentiating between Graves' disease with or without orbitopathy.
PMID: 28419103
PLoS One · 2017
0.60