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9 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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METTL21A
methyltransferase 21A, HSPA lysine
Chromosome 2 · 2q33.3
NCBI Gene: 151194Ensembl: ENSG00000144401.14HGNC: HGNC:30476UniProt: C9JES0
24PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein methyltransferase activityprotein-containing complexprotein-lysine N-methyltransferase activityHsp70 protein bindingAbnormality of the skeletal systemessential hypertensionhypertensionhistiocytoma, Angiomatoid fibrous
✦AI Summary

METTL21A is a protein-lysine methyltransferase that selectively trimethylates conserved lysine residues in heat shock protein 70 (HSP70/HSPA) family members 1. The enzyme catalyzes trimethylation of multiple HSPA proteins both in vitro and in vivo, including HSPA1, HSPA2, HSPA5, HSPA6, and HSPA8, with the reaction stimulated by ATP 1. METTL21A demonstrates remarkable specificity, exclusively methylating 70-kDa proteins in mammalian extracts. Functionally, trimethylation of HSPA8 (Hsc70) alters the chaperone's binding affinity for both monomeric and fibrillar forms of α-synuclein, suggesting involvement in protein homeostasis regulation 1. Clinically, METTL21A has emerged as relevant to multiple diseases. A rare variant in METTL21A associates with varicose veins, particularly in females 2. In hepatocellular carcinoma, METTL21A is upregulated and serves as an independent prognostic marker, with elevated expression correlating with poor prognosis 3. Conversely, in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, high METTL21A expression associates with favorable outcome 4. METTL21A was also identified as a key gene in intracranial aneurysm pathogenesis through miRNA-mRNA network analysis 5, and appeared among hub genes in colorectal cancer molecular studies 6. These diverse disease associations suggest METTL21A may regulate critical cellular processes beyond HSP70 modification.

Sources cited
1
METTL21A trimethylates conserved lysine residues in HSPA proteins with ATP stimulation; trimethylation of HSPA8 alters binding to α-synuclein
PMID: 23921388
2
METTL21A rare variants associate with varicose veins, particularly in females
PMID: 38980841
3
METTL21A is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and functions as an independent prognostic marker
PMID: 38130905
4
High METTL21A expression associates with favorable outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
PMID: 32219808
5
METTL21A identified as a key gene in intracranial aneurysm pathogenesis through miRNA-mRNA network analysis
PMID: 38511055
6
METTL21A identified as hub gene in weighted correlation network analysis of colorectal cancer
PMID: 35194111
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.24Weak
essential hypertensionOpen Targets
0.18Weak
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.15Weak
histiocytoma, Angiomatoid fibrousOpen Targets
0.12Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
obesityOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
benign chondrogenic neoplasmOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
refractive errorOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
chronic kidney diseaseOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
cataractOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
asthmaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
cervical cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
colon adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
colorectal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
nonpapillary renal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
EEF1AKMT1Shared pathway100%HSPA8Protein interaction100%HSPA4Protein interaction100%METTL22Protein interaction88%EEF1AKMT2Protein interaction85%ETFBKMTProtein interaction82%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Bone Marrow
54%
Ovary
42%
Brain
36%
Heart
31%
Lung
30%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
METTL21AEEF1AKMT1HSPA8HSPA4METTL22EEF1AKMT2ETFBKMT
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB4LEC · 2.28 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
RankingsWhere METTL21A stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #13,236of 20,598
    Most Researched24
Genes detectedMETTL21A
Sources retrieved9 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
9▼
1
Exome sequencing identifies novel genetic variants associated with varicose veins.
PMID: 38980841
PLoS Genet · 2024
1.00
2
Weighted correlation network analysis revealed novel long non-coding RNAs for colorectal cancer.
PMID: 35194111
Sci Rep · 2022
0.89
3
Saccharomyces cerevisiae Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 1A (eEF1A) Is Methylated at Lys-390 by a METTL21-Like Methyltransferase.
PMID: 26115316
PLoS One · 2015
0.78
4
Comprehensive Analysis of METTLs (METTL1/13/18/21A/23/25/2A/2B/5/6/9) and Associated mRNA Risk Signature in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
PMID: 38130905
Anal Cell Pathol (Amst) · 2023
0.67
5
Selenium-based S-adenosylmethionine analog reveals the mammalian seven-beta-strand methyltransferase METTL10 to be an EF1A1 lysine methyltransferase.
PMID: 25144183
PLoS One · 2014
0.56