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50 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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NOS3
nitric oxide synthase 3
Chromosome 7 · 7q36.1
NCBI Gene: 4846Ensembl: ENSG00000164867.12HGNC: HGNC:7876UniProt: A0S0A6
2,192PubMed Papers
20Diseases
2Drugs
2Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
RESEARCH IMPACT
Highly Studied
CLINICAL
Clinical Trials
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
caveolaL-arginine catabolic processnitric oxide biosynthetic processGolgi apparatushypertensionessential hypertensionmyocardial infarctioncoronary artery disease
✦AI Summary

NOS3 (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) is the primary isoform responsible for nitric oxide (NO) production in the cardiovascular system 1. NOS3 synthesizes NO from L-arginine in endothelial cells through a calcium-calmodulin-dependent mechanism 2, producing a critical vasodilator essential for cardiovascular homeostasis 1. The enzyme functions as a dimer whose expression and activity are regulated at transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels 1. Mechanistically, NOS3 mediates endothelium-dependent vasodilation and regulates systemic arterial blood pressure, with its activity influenced by multiple genetic polymorphisms including SNPs, VNTRs, and insertions/deletions 1. The NOS3 gene contains 26 exons and is located on chromosome 7-36 2. Several NOS3 polymorphisms (rs2070744, rs1799983, 4a/4b variant) show functional effects on NO formation 1. Clinically, NOS3 polymorphisms associate with diabetic nephropathy risk in type 2 diabetes, with rs2070744 and rs1799983 minor alleles increasing susceptibility 3. The 4a/4b intron variant correlates with oligoasthenozoospermia in male infertility 4. However, meta-analyses found no significant associations between NOS3 polymorphisms and prostate cancer, Alzheimer's disease, general cancer risk, or unstable angina [PMID:24577889; 5; 6; 74]. NOS3 gene mutations have been identified in lung adenocarcinoma patients with potential therapeutic implications 8.

Sources cited
1
NOS3 is the most important isoform for NO formation in the cardiovascular system; it is a dimeric enzyme regulated at multiple levels; NOS3 gene exhibits multiple polymorphic sites with functional effects on expression and activity
PMID: 26428312
2
NOS3 synthesizes NO from L-arginine in endothelial cells via calcium-calmodulin-dependent mechanism; mediates endothelium-dependent vasodilation; NOS3 located on chromosome 7q35-36 with 26 exons
PMID: 32224624
3
NOS3 rs2070744 and rs1799983 minor alleles associate with increased diabetic nephropathy susceptibility in type 2 diabetes
PMID: 38462124
4
NOS3 4a/4b intron variant associates with increased infertility risk in oligoasthenozoospermia under overdominant genetic model
PMID: 28466478
5
NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism shows no significant association with prostate cancer risk
PMID: 24577889
6
NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism is not a strong risk factor for Alzheimer's disease
PMID: 23952620
7
NOS3 G894T and 4a/b polymorphisms show no significant association with overall cancer risk
PMID: 25854385
8
NOS3 rs1799983 and rs2070744 polymorphisms show no significant association with unstable angina
PMID: 32224624
9
NOS3 mutations identified in lung adenocarcinoma patients with potential therapeutic implications
PMID: 38107574
Disease Associationsⓘ20
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.49Moderate
essential hypertensionOpen Targets
0.45Moderate
myocardial infarctionOpen Targets
0.40Weak
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.40Weak
strokeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
primary ovarian insufficiencyOpen Targets
0.35Weak
Myocardial IschemiaOpen Targets
0.35Weak
heart diseaseOpen Targets
0.34Weak
cardiovascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.34Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
coronary atherosclerosisOpen Targets
0.32Weak
Varicose veinsOpen Targets
0.32Weak
Increased blood pressureOpen Targets
0.32Weak
vein disorderOpen Targets
0.32Weak
lymphatic system diseaseOpen Targets
0.31Weak
heart failureOpen Targets
0.31Weak
angina pectorisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
goutOpen Targets
0.29Weak
allergic rhinitisOpen Targets
0.29Weak
response to xenobiotic stimulusOpen Targets
0.28Weak
Pathogenic Variants2
NM_000603.5(NOS3):c.172C>T (p.Pro58Ser)Likely pathogenic
Premature ovarian failure
★☆☆☆2020→ Residue 58
NM_000603.5(NOS3):c.505G>A (p.Glu169Lys)Likely pathogenic
Premature ovarian failure
★☆☆☆2020→ Residue 169
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets2
TILARGININEPhase II
Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor
sickle cell disease
TILARGININE ACETATEPhase III
Nitric oxide synthase inhibitor
myocardial infarction
Related Genes
CBSProtein interaction100%HSP90AA1Protein interaction100%HSP90AB1Protein interaction100%NOSIPProtein interaction99%AZIN2Protein interaction98%GATMProtein interaction97%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Lung
81%
Liver
55%
Ovary
34%
Brain
30%
Bone Marrow
9%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
NOS3CBSHSP90AA1HSP90AB1NOSIPAZIN2GATM
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB4D1P · 1.73 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.90LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.76 [0.65–0.90]
RankingsWhere NOS3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #50of 20,598
    Most Researched2,192 · top 1%
  • #4,182of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants2
  • #8,114of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.90
Genes detectedNOS3
Sources retrieved50 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
50▼
1
Polymorphism of NOS3 gene and its association with essential hypertension in Guizhou populations of China.
PMID: 36758021
PLoS One · 2023
1.00
2
The Glu298Asp polymorphism in the NOS3 gene and the risk of prostate cancer.
PMID: 24577889
Tumour Biol · 2014
1.00
3
NOS3 gene intron 4 a/b polymorphism is associated with ESRD in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease patients.
PMID: 35138322
J Bras Nefrol · 2022
0.94
4
Association between Alzheimer's disease and the NOS3 gene Glu298Asp polymorphism.
PMID: 23952620
Int J Neurosci · 2014
0.90
5
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase: From biochemistry and gene structure to clinical implications of NOS3 polymorphisms.
PMID: 26428312
Gene · 2016
0.80