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25 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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RELB
RELB proto-oncogene, NF-kB subunit
Chromosome 19 · 19q13.32
NCBI Gene: 5971Ensembl: ENSG00000104856.15HGNC: HGNC:9956UniProt: D6R992
216PubMed Papers
21Diseases
0Drugs
2Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
RESEARCH IMPACT
Trending
CLINICAL
OMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
nucleuslymphocyte differentiationnegative regulation of interferon-beta productiontranscription repressor compleximmunodeficiency 53neuroinflammatory disorderRecurrent infectionsneoplasm
✦AI Summary

RELB is a proto-oncogene encoding an NF-κB transcription factor that functions primarily through the non-canonical NF-κB signaling pathway 1. RELB forms heterodimeric complexes with p50 or p52 that activate target genes, but does not associate with DNA independently or with RELA/p65 [UniProt]. The non-canonical pathway depends on NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK)-mediated processing of p100 to p52, with RELB stabilization being rate-limiting 1. Mechanistically, RELB regulates diverse cellular processes including lymphocyte development and immune responses 2, circadian rhythm control, and inflammatory gene expression through a negative feedback circuit involving SIX family proteins 3. In disease contexts, RELB contributes to cancer progression: it confers tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer by transcriptionally upregulating GPX4, thereby inhibiting ferroptosis 4; promotes prostate cancer radiation resistance via manganese superoxide dismutase expression 5; and drives cholangiocarcinoma proliferation through the LTβ/NIK/RELB axis 6. RELB also regulates breast cancer stem cell stemness through interaction with nuclear PD-L1 7. Clinically, inherited RELB deficiency causes immunodeficiency characterized by impaired T and B lymphocyte development, failure of B cell differentiation into antibody-secreting cells, and production of autoantibodies against type I interferons, conferring susceptibility to multiple infections 2. Targeting RELB represents a therapeutic strategy in cancer treatment.

Sources cited
1
Non-canonical NF-κB pathway predominantly targets p52/RelB complex activation via NIK-mediated p100 processing; tight control of NIK is important as deregulated accumulation associates with lymphoid malignancies
PMID: 21173796
2
Inherited human RelB deficiency impairs NFKB2 induction, disrupts non-canonical NF-κB pathway, causes T and B cell immunodeficiency, and results in neutralizing autoantibodies against type I interferons predisposing to infections
PMID: 39231201
3
SIX1/SIX2 transcription factors inhibit trans-activation function of RELA and RELB in negative feedback circuit; NIK-SIX axis fine-tunes inflammatory gene expression programs
PMID: 30894749
4
RelB contributes to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer by transcriptionally upregulating GPX4, thereby inhibiting ferroptosis; targeting RelB resensitizes resistant cells
PMID: 37944384
5
RelB protects prostate cancer cells from ionizing radiation by stimulating manganese superoxide dismutase expression; blocking RelB sensitizes cells to radiation
PMID: 20649549
6
Lymphotoxin-β activates the LTβ/NIK/RelB axis that drives cholangiocarcinoma proliferation; NIK inhibition suppresses RelB expression in cancer cells
PMID: 39164890
7
BRD4/nuclear PD-L1/RelB circuit regulates breast cancer stem cell formation; RelB knockdown and inhibition reduce mammosphere formation through IL-6 expression modulation
PMID: 37924094
8
RelB activation in CNS cell types plays specialized roles during neuroinflammatory response, though less understood compared to p65 NF-κB
PMID: 34198987
Disease Associationsⓘ21
immunodeficiency 53Open Targets
0.58Moderate
neuroinflammatory disorderOpen Targets
0.37Weak
Recurrent infectionsOpen Targets
0.37Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.10Weak
gliomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
chronic lymphocytic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
Miyoshi myopathyOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
sinusitisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
diffuse large B-cell lymphomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
juvenile idiopathic arthritisOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Duane retraction syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Immunodeficiency 53UniProt
Pathogenic Variants2
NM_006509.4(RELB):c.662+1G>TLikely pathogenic
not provided
★☆☆☆2019
NM_006509.4(RELB):c.1191C>A (p.Tyr397Ter)Pathogenic
Immunodeficiency 53
☆☆☆☆2025→ Residue 397
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
IKBKGProtein interaction100%IKBKBProtein interaction100%NFKBIBProtein interaction100%NFKBIEProtein interaction100%RELAProtein interaction100%TNFProtein interaction97%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
76%
Liver
26%
Ovary
17%
Brain
10%
Heart
9%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RELBIKBKGIKBKBNFKBIBNFKBIERELATNF
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB8G8R · 2.60 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.51Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.97Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.33 [0.21–0.51]
RankingsWhere RELB stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #1,924of 20,598
    Most Researched216 · top 10%
  • #4,237of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants2
  • #3,125of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.51 · top quartile
Genes detectedRELB
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
25▼
1
Non-canonical NF-κB signaling pathway.
PMID: 21173796
Cell Res · 2011
1.00
2
RelB and Neuroinflammation.
PMID: 34198987
Cells · 2021
0.90
3
RelB-activated GPX4 inhibits ferroptosis and confers tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer.
PMID: 37944384
Redox Biol · 2023
0.80
4
Disseminated tuberculosis is associated with impaired T cell immunity mediated by non-canonical NF-κB pathway.
PMID: 39032519
J Infect · 2024
0.72
5
Inherited human RelB deficiency impairs innate and adaptive immunity to infection.
PMID: 39231201
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2024
0.70