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25 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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RAB5A
RAB5A, member RAS oncogene family
Chromosome 3 · 3p24.3
NCBI Gene: 5868Ensembl: ENSG00000144566.12HGNC: HGNC:9783UniProt: P20339
348PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub GeneTransporter
RESEARCH IMPACT
Highly StudiedTrending
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
GTPase activityG protein activityprotein bindingGTP bindingtuberculosisNephropathynephritispostinflammatory pulmonary fibrosis
✦AI Summary

RAB5A is a small GTPase that serves as a key regulator of early endocytic trafficking and membrane vesicle fusion 1. The protein functions by cycling between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound states, with the GTP-bound form recruiting downstream effectors responsible for vesicle formation, movement, and fusion 1. RAB5A mediates the fusion of plasma membranes with early endosomes and is essential for receptor internalization, including EGFR and C5a receptor trafficking 21. The protein facilitates EEA1 recruitment to early endosomes and coordinates with β-arrestin2 in G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways 1. In cancer contexts, RAB5A promotes tumor cell fluidity and active wetting behaviors that facilitate invasion 3. The protein also regulates extracellular vesicle production through endosomal trafficking mechanisms, maintaining GTP-bound activation states that sustain EV biogenesis 4. Additionally, RAB5A modulates cellular senescence and autophagy pathways, with reduced expression associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired differentiation in aging skeletal muscle 5. Clinically, RAB5A expression correlates with pancreatic cancer prognosis and bone marrow niche remodeling in acute myeloid leukemia, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target 67.

Sources cited
1
RAB5A regulates C5a receptor trafficking and coordinates with β-arrestin2 in chemotaxis signaling
PMID: 36882040
2
RAB5A is involved in EGFR early endocytosis and trafficking in macrophages
PMID: 36344490
3
RAB5A promotes breast cancer spheroid fluidity and active wetting behaviors for invasion
PMID: 40712149
4
RAB5A maintains GTP-bound state to sustain integrin α6-containing extracellular vesicle production
PMID: 39329462
5
RAB5A expression is reduced in aging skeletal muscle and regulates autophagy pathways
PMID: 39961359
6
RAB5A is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and associated with patient survival
PMID: 34078402
7
RAB5A modulates mitochondrial homeostasis and senescence in bone marrow stromal cells
PMID: 40623992
Disease Associationsⓘ20
tuberculosisOpen Targets
0.37Weak
NephropathyOpen Targets
0.28Weak
nephritisOpen Targets
0.28Weak
postinflammatory pulmonary fibrosisOpen Targets
0.12Weak
duodenal ulcerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
thyroiditisOpen Targets
0.10Weak
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
tricuspid valve diseaseOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Respiratory Syncytial Virus InfectionOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
type 1 diabetes nephropathyOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hepatitis B virus infectionOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
ovarian neoplasmOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
cystOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
VPS45Protein interaction100%BECN1Protein interaction100%UVRAGProtein interaction100%PIK3R4Protein interaction100%EHD3Protein interaction100%EHD1Protein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Heart
70%
Bone Marrow
70%
Lung
44%
Liver
42%
Ovary
27%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RAB5AVPS45BECN1UVRAGPIK3R4EHD3EHD1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB1R2Q · 1.05 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.40Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
1.00Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.15 [0.07–0.40]
RankingsWhere RAB5A stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #917of 20,598
    Most Researched348 · top 5%
  • #1,948of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.40 · top quartile
Genes detectedRAB5A
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
25▼
1
ArfGAP3 Protects Mitochondrial Function and Promotes Autophagy Through Rab5a-Mediated Signals in Ageing Skeletal Muscle.
PMID: 39961359
J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle · 2025
1.00
2
A genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen identifies TMEM239 as an important host factor in facilitating African swine fever virus entry into early endosomes.
PMID: 39024394
PLoS Pathog · 2024
0.90
3
EGFR tyrosine kinase activity and Rab GTPases coordinate EGFR trafficking to regulate macrophage activation in sepsis.
PMID: 36344490
Cell Death Dis · 2022
0.80
4
Integrin α6-containing extracellular vesicles promote lymphatic remodelling for pre-metastatic niche formation in lymph nodes via interplay with CD151.
PMID: 39329462
J Extracell Vesicles · 2024
0.70
5
CircARAP2 controls sMICA-induced NK cell desensitization by erasing CTCF/PRC2-induced suppression in early endosome marker RAB5A.
PMID: 39048814
Cell Mol Life Sci · 2024
0.64