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GeneE
10 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 14 days ago
β“˜GeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
POLR3B
RNA polymerase III subunit B
Chromosome 12 Β· 12q23.3
NCBI Gene: 55703Ensembl: ENSG00000013503.11HGNC: HGNC:30348UniProt: Q9NW08
98PubMed Papers
22Diseases
0Drugs
71Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
RESEARCH IMPACT
Variant-Rich
CLINICAL
OMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
positive regulation of interferon-beta productionpositive regulation of innate immune responsecytoplasmzinc ion bindingHypomyelination - hypogonadotropic hypogonadism - hypodontiahypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadismEndosteal sclerosis - cerebellar hypoplasiaCharcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1I
✦AI Summary

POLR3B encodes the second-largest catalytic subunit of RNA polymerase III (Pol III), a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase essential for transcribing small non-coding RNAs including 5S rRNA, tRNAs, snRNAs, and miRNAs from approximately 500 genomic loci 1. As part of the Pol III active center, POLR3B coordinates a magnesium ion and provides lysine residues facilitating Watson-Crick base pairing during nucleotide addition to the nascent RNA 2. Beyond transcription, Pol III functions as a nuclear and cytosolic DNA sensor in innate immunity, detecting non-self DNA and triggering type I interferon responses through the RIG-I pathway [UniProt annotation supported by 38]. Biallelic POLR3B mutations cause 4H leukodystrophy (hypomyelination, hypodontia, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism), characterized by motor delay before age 6 years, with a milder disease course than POLR3A mutations 4. Pathogenic variants impair oligodendrocyte precursor proliferation and differentiation, reducing mature oligodendrocyte numbers during myelinogenesis 5. De novo heterozygous POLR3B variants cause developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with myoclonic-atonic seizures, ataxia, microcephaly, and developmental delay, typically presenting between 6 months and 4 years 6. Rare de novo mutations also associate with early-onset demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 7. POLR3B dysfunction leads to decreased Pol III transcript levels, altered small ncRNA profiles, and can be detected via tRNA fragment biomarkers 8.

Sources cited
1
POLR3B transcribes 5S rRNA, snRNAs, tRNAs and miRNAs from approximately 500 genomic loci; participates in transcription initiation, elongation, and termination stages
PMID: 20413673
2
POLR3B coordinates a second Mg2+ ion and provides lysine residues facilitating Watson-Crick base pairing during nucleotide addition
PMID: 19609254
3
Pol III functions include innate immune sensing and various tissue-specific disease mutations in Pol III subunits
PMID: 34395528
4
Biallelic POLR3B mutations cause 4H leukodystrophy with milder disease course than POLR3A mutations; most patients present before age 6 with gross motor delay
PMID: 25339210
5
POLR3B mutations cause defective oligodendrocyte precursor proliferation and differentiation, resulting in hypomyelination, hypodontia, and craniofacial abnormalities
PMID: 37635302
6
De novo heterozygous POLR3B variants cause developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with myoclonic-atonic seizures, ataxia, microcephaly, and developmental delay
PMID: 39348199
7
De novo heterozygous POLR3B mutations associate with early-onset demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
PMID: 35482004
8
POLR3B dysfunction decreases Pol III transcript levels, alters small ncRNA profiles including tRNA fragments that can serve as biomarkers
PMID: 38410490
Disease Associationsβ“˜22
Hypomyelination - hypogonadotropic hypogonadism - hypodontiaOpen Targets
0.77Strong
hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadismOpen Targets
0.75Strong
Endosteal sclerosis - cerebellar hypoplasiaOpen Targets
0.75Strong
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1IOpen Targets
0.73Strong
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy with or without oligondontia and/or hypogonadismOpen Targets
0.71Strong
POLR3B-related disorderOpen Targets
0.58Moderate
hypogonadotropic hypogonadismOpen Targets
0.51Moderate
POLR-related leukodystrophyOpen Targets
0.50Moderate
leukodystrophy, hypomyelinating, 7, with or without oligodontia and/or hypogonadotropic hypogonadismOpen Targets
0.44Moderate
genetic disorderOpen Targets
0.39Weak
hypomyelination-hypogonadotropic hypogonadism-hypodontia syndromeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
Neurodevelopmental disorderOpen Targets
0.37Weak
autosomal recessive non-syndromic intellectual disabilityOpen Targets
0.37Weak
leukodystrophyOpen Targets
0.35Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.34Weak
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.28Weak
VISS syndromeOpen Targets
0.27Weak
mathematical abilityOpen Targets
0.17Weak
amenorrheaOpen Targets
0.15Weak
Intellectual disabilityOpen Targets
0.15Weak
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, type 1IUniProt
Leukodystrophy, hypomyelinating, 8, with or without oligodontia and/or hypogonadotropic hypogonadismUniProt
Pathogenic Variants71
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2084-6A>GPathogenic
not provided|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1I
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.664C>T (p.Arg222Ter)Pathogenic
not provided|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1I
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 222
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1568T>A (p.Val523Glu)Pathogenic
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|not provided|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism;Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism 7 with or without anosmia;Leukodystrophy, hypomyelinating, 7, with or without oligodontia and/or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|POLR-related leukodystrophy|Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|See cases|not specified|Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1I|POLR3B-related disorder
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 523
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1263+2T>CPathogenic
not provided|Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism 7 with or without anosmia;Leukodystrophy, hypomyelinating, 7, with or without oligodontia and/or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism;Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1I|Thyroid cancer, nonmedullary, 1
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2570+1G>APathogenic
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|not provided|Familial cancer of breast|Colon adenocarcinoma
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1263+1G>ALikely pathogenic
Inborn genetic diseases|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2024
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2376del (p.Met794fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 794
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2293+1G>ALikely pathogenic
not provided|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2024
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2809C>T (p.Arg937Ter)Pathogenic
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 937
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.3137G>A (p.Arg1046His)Pathogenic
not provided|Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, demyelinating, IIA 1I
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 1046
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1988C>T (p.Thr663Ile)Likely pathogenic
not provided|not specified|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 663
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1648C>T (p.Arg550Ter)Pathogenic
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2022β†’ Residue 550
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2413C>T (p.Arg805Ter)Pathogenic
not provided|POLR-related leukodystrophy|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2022β†’ Residue 805
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2104C>T (p.Arg702Ter)Pathogenic
not provided|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2022β†’ Residue 702
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2818-1G>TPathogenic
not provided|Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2022
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1297C>T (p.Arg433Cys)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 433
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.1373A>C (p.Gln458Pro)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 458
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.3192dup (p.Leu1065fs)Likely pathogenic
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 1065
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.2571-1delPathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025
NM_018082.6(POLR3B):c.615-1G>ALikely pathogenic
Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy 8 with or without oligodontia and-or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025
View on ClinVar β†—
Related Genes
MRPS5Protein interaction100%POLR2DProtein interaction100%POLR2GProtein interaction100%BDP1Protein interaction100%MRPL17Protein interaction100%MRPL12Protein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Liver
95%
Brain
70%
Ovary
54%
Lung
54%
Bone Marrow
49%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
POLR3BMRPS5POLR2DPOLR2GBDP1MRPL17MRPL12
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB7AE1 Β· 2.80 Γ… Β· EM
View on RCSB β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
0.84LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.68 [0.55–0.84]
RankingsWhere POLR3B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #4,902of 20,598
    Most Researched98 Β· top quartile
  • #1,026of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants71 Β· top quartile
  • #7,226of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.84
Genes detectedPOLR3B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
10β–Ό
1
Clinical spectrum of 4H leukodystrophy caused by POLR3A and POLR3B mutations.
PMID: 25339210
Neurology Β· 2014
1.00
2
PMID: 22855961
0.90
3
POLR3B is associated with a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with myoclonic-atonic seizures and ataxia.
PMID: 39348199
Epilepsia Β· 2024
0.80
4
Hypomyelination, hypodontia and craniofacial abnormalities in a Polr3b mouse model of leukodystrophy.
PMID: 37635302
Brain Β· 2023
0.70
5
Comprehensive genotype-phenotype analysis in POLR3-related disorders.
PMID: 40684265
HGG Adv Β· 2025
0.60