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.
NRG4
neuregulin 4
Chromosome 15 · 15q24.2
NCBI Gene: 145957Ensembl: ENSG00000169752.18HGNC: HGNC:29862UniProt: Q8WWG1
39PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingreceptor ligand activityextracellular regionGO:0005615cancergoutplacental retentionkidney failure
✦AI Summary

NRG4 (neuregulin 4) is an adipokine and low-affinity ligand for the ERBB4 receptor tyrosine kinase, functioning as a key regulator of metabolic homeostasis and cancer progression through adipose-organ tissue communication. Mechanistically, NRG4 binds ERBB4 and recruits ERBB1 and ERBB2 coreceptors to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation and downstream signaling 1. The NRG4/ERBB4/AKT pathway suppresses hepatic steatosis by phosphorylating cGAS to inhibit cGAS-STING-mediated inflammation, representing a key mechanism by which exercise ameliorates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) 2. In humans, NRG4 and ERBB4 expression decreases with elevated BMI, correlating inversely with lipogenesis genes like ACACA, suggesting an antilipogenic role 3. Beyond liver metabolism, NRG4 regulates wound healing by promoting subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT) beiging, where beige adipocytes express abundant NRG4 to regulate macrophage polarization and myofibroblast function 4. In breast cancer, NRG4 acts as a metastasis suppressor through ERBB4-YAP1 signaling, suppressing matrix metalloproteinase expression to inhibit EMT and invasion 5. Clinically, plasma ERBB4+ exosomes are independent prognostic factors for breast cancer patients with comorbid NAFLD 1, and NRG4 represents a promising therapeutic target for obesity-associated metabolic and malignant disorders 6.

Sources cited
1
NRG4/ERBB4 binding drives adipocyte-mediated breast cancer progression through exosomal communication in NAFLD; plasma ERBB4+ exosomes are prognostic markers
PMID: 40997802
2
NRG4 is abundantly expressed in beige adipocytes during sWAT beiging after skin injury and regulates macrophage polarization and myofibroblast function in wound healing
PMID: 38838641
3
NRG4/ERBB4/AKT signaling phosphorylates cGAS to inhibit cGAS-STING pathway and reduce hepatic steatosis in MASLD; NRG4 is upregulated by exercise via PPARγ
PMID: 39891907
4
In humans, ERBB4 and NRG4 mRNA expression decreases with elevated BMI; NRG4 correlates negatively with ACACA lipogenesis gene expression
PMID: 39735994
5
NRG4 suppresses breast cancer metastasis through ERBB4-YAP1 signaling axis by inhibiting MMP9/MMP12 transcription and EMT
PMID: 41716632
6
NRG4 and ERBB4 are promising therapeutic targets for obesity-associated metabolic disorders; review of tissue-specific features and miRNA regulation of NRG4/ERBB4
PMID: 37369570
Disease Associationsⓘ20
cancerOpen Targets
0.58Moderate
goutOpen Targets
0.52Moderate
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.30Weak
kidney failureOpen Targets
0.13Weak
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.11Weak
non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.11Weak
metabolic syndromeOpen Targets
0.11Weak
gestational diabetesOpen Targets
0.10Weak
obesityOpen Targets
0.10Weak
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
atherosclerosisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
diabetic nephropathyOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
acromegalyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
polycystic ovary syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Insulin resistanceOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
metabolic diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
SepsisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
EGFRProtein interaction100%EGFProtein interaction99%ERBB2Protein interaction94%NRG3Protein interaction74%AREGProtein interaction71%HBEGFProtein interaction71%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Brain
77%
Liver
54%
Lung
25%
Ovary
16%
Heart
5%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
NRG4EGFREGFERBB2NRG3AREGHBEGF
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q8WWG1
View on AlphaFold ↗
RankingsWhere NRG4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #10,368of 20,598
    Most Researched39
Genes detectedNRG4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Liver-breast communication of adipocyte-oriented exosomes drives primary mammary cancer progression.
PMID: 40997802
Cell Metab · 2025
1.00
2
The browning and mobilization of subcutaneous white adipose tissue supports efficient skin repair.
PMID: 38838641
Cell Metab · 2024
0.90
3
Exercise-induced adipokine Nrg4 alleviates MASLD by disrupting hepatic cGAS-STING signaling.
PMID: 39891907
Cell Rep · 2025
0.80
4
The Putative Antilipogenic Role of NRG4 and ERBB4: First Expression Study on Human Liver Samples.
PMID: 39735994
Front Biosci (Landmark Ed) · 2024
0.70
5
Characterization of the genomic and transcriptional structure of chicken NRG4 gene.
PMID: 37194591
Yi Chuan · 2023
0.60