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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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RIC8B
RIC8 guanine nucleotide exchange factor B
Chromosome 12 · 12q23.3
NCBI Gene: 55188Ensembl: ENSG00000111785.21HGNC: HGNC:25555UniProt: B7WPL0
26PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
G-protein alpha-subunit bindingregulation of G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathwaycytosolplasma membraneinfectious meningitiscardiac arrestatrial fibrillationcardiomyopathy
✦AI Summary

RIC8B (RIC8 guanine nucleotide exchange factor B) is a molecular chaperone that specifically mediates the biosynthetic folding and maturation of nascent Gαs and Gαolf (G(olf)-alpha) G protein α-subunits prior to heterotrimeric G protein assembly 1. RIC8B functions as a chaperone for nucleotide-free Gα-subunit states and also possesses guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) activity that stimulates GDP release and GTP binding 1. Unlike RIC8A, which serves as the dedicated chaperone for Gαi/Gαo, Gαq, and Gα12/Gα13 subfamilies, RIC8B has exclusive responsibility for Gαs/Gαolf protein maturation 2. RIC8B plays a critical role in olfactory signal transduction by promoting GNAL (Gαolf-alpha) folding, thereby facilitating cAMP accumulation in olfactory sensory neurons and supporting odorant receptor surface expression and function in heterologous cell systems 34. Additionally, RIC8B localizes to primary ciliary compartments and is required for ciliogenesis in retinal pigment epithelial cells 5. RIC8B expression is dynamically regulated during embryonic development and in specific brain regions, with CREB transcription factor playing a key role in controlling RIC8B gene transcription through CRE binding sites in the promoter region 6. Pathological relevance emerges from studies of pediatric encephalopathies, where pathogenic Gαo mutations abnormally gain interaction with RIC8B, causing its relocalization and disrupting G protein signaling balance, with interaction strength correlating with disease severity 2. RIC8B has been proposed as a therapeutic target for attenuating disease-causing G protein mutations 1.

Sources cited
1
RIC8B chaperones nucleotide-free Gα-subunit states during biosynthetic protein folding and possesses GEF activity; RIC8A and RIC8B are essential positive regulators of heterotrimeric G protein α subunits
PMID: 25319541
2
RIC8B is the sole chaperone responsible for Gαs/Gαolf subfamilies (unlike RIC8A for other subfamilies); pathogenic Gαo mutations gain abnormal interaction with RIC8B, correlating with disease severity in pediatric encephalopathies
PMID: 38874642
3
RIC8B functions as a chaperone that improves olfactory receptor surface expression and functional expression in heterologous cells
PMID: 23840901
4
RIC8B acts synergistically with other accessory proteins to support robust cell-surface and functional expression of odorant receptors
PMID: 17387175
5
RIC8B localizes to ciliary compartments and is required for ciliogenesis in RPE-1 cells
PMID: 41727026
6
CREB transcription factor binds and activates CRE sites in the RIC8B promoter region to regulate gene transcription
PMID: 26729411
7
RIC8B is a major olfactory signaling component highly expressed in human keratinocytes and participates in OR-mediated biological responses
PMID: 33802009
Disease Associationsⓘ20
infectious meningitisOpen Targets
0.29Weak
cardiac arrestOpen Targets
0.29Weak
atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.29Weak
cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.28Weak
open-angle glaucomaOpen Targets
0.27Weak
heart failureOpen Targets
0.22Weak
congestive heart failureOpen Targets
0.18Weak
atrial flutterOpen Targets
0.18Weak
cardiac arrhythmiaOpen Targets
0.17Weak
glaucomaOpen Targets
0.17Weak
obesityOpen Targets
0.12Weak
overnutritionOpen Targets
0.10Weak
Corneal opacityOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
retinopathyOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
neutrophil immunodeficiency syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Familial ocular anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
transient myeloproliferative syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
granular corneal dystrophy type IOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
X-linked endothelial corneal dystrophyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
GNAI3Protein interaction90%TMTC1Protein interaction87%SYN1Protein interaction87%SYN2Protein interaction87%SYN3Protein interaction84%GNAQProtein interaction83%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Brain
82%
Ovary
59%
Liver
55%
Lung
31%
Bone Marrow
26%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RIC8BGNAI3TMTC1SYN1SYN2SYN3GNAQ
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9NVN3
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.43Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
1.00Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.26 [0.16–0.43]
RankingsWhere RIC8B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #12,865of 20,598
    Most Researched26
  • #2,279of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.43 · top quartile
Genes detectedRIC8B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Neomorphic Gαo mutations gain interaction with Ric8 proteins in GNAO1 encephalopathies.
PMID: 38874642
J Clin Invest · 2024
1.00
2
The CREB Transcription Factor Controls Transcriptional Activity of the Human RIC8B Gene.
PMID: 26729411
J Cell Biochem · 2016
0.90
3
Genome-wide scan for runs of homozygosity in South American Camelids.
PMID: 37605116
BMC Genomics · 2023
0.80
4
A cleavable N-terminal signal peptide promotes widespread olfactory receptor surface expression in HEK293T cells.
PMID: 23840901
PLoS One · 2013
0.70
5
Synergism of accessory factors in functional expression of mammalian odorant receptors.
PMID: 17387175
J Biol Chem · 2007
0.60