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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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RNF186
ring finger protein 186
Chromosome 1 · 1p36.13
NCBI Gene: 54546Ensembl: ENSG00000178828.7HGNC: HGNC:25978UniProt: Q9NXI6
23PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
ubiquitin-protein transferase activityprotein bindingubiquitin protein ligase bindingubiquitin protein ligase activityulcerative colitisinflammatory bowel diseaseulcerative proctosigmoiditisintestinal disease
✦AI Summary

RNF186 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates multiple cellular processes critical for tissue homeostasis and disease prevention. Its primary function involves ubiquitin-dependent protein modification, mediating both K48- and K63-linked ubiquitination of diverse substrates 1. In the intestine, RNF186 maintains homeostasis through EFNB1-EPHB2-mediated autophagy activation in colonic epithelial cells 2. Upon pattern recognition receptor stimulation, RNF186 promotes ubiquitination of signaling molecules to enable optimal antimicrobial responses, including reactive oxygen species production and intracellular bacterial clearance 3. IBD-risk variants demonstrate loss-of-function in these immune pathways 3. Beyond intestinal immunity, RNF186 regulates metabolic processes including hepatic lipophagy by ubiquitinating cytoplasmic HMGB1, leading to its proteasomal degradation 1. It also controls nutrient sensing through sestrin-2 ubiquitination, modulating mTORC1 activity 4. In cancer, RNF186 exhibits context-dependent roles: functioning as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer while promoting progression in endometrial carcinoma through proteasome and PI3K-AKT pathway regulation 5. Its E3 ligase activity is essential for these diverse biological functions, making RNF186 dysfunction relevant to inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic disorders, and malignancy 6.

Sources cited
1
RNF186 acts as E3 ubiquitin ligase targeting cytoplasmic HMGB1 for K48- and K63-linked ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, regulating hepatic lipophagy in NAFLD
PMID: 38158076
2
RNF186 ubiquitinates EPHB2 upon EFNB1 stimulation to recruit MAP1LC3B for autophagy maintenance in colonic epithelial cells and intestinal homeostasis
PMID: 33280498
3
RNF186 promotes ubiquitination of pattern recognition receptor signaling molecules to enable antimicrobial responses including reactive oxygen species production and bacterial clearance; IBD-risk variants show loss-of-function
PMID: 34353900
4
RNF186 ubiquitinates sestrin-2 to regulate mTORC1 signaling and promote bladder cancer progression through the OTUD5-RNF186-sestrin2-mTOR axis
PMID: 36085200
5
RNF186 functions as tumor suppressor in breast cancer but promotes endometrial carcinoma progression through proteasome and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway regulation
PMID: 38160786
6
RNF186 is a tissue-specific ubiquitin ligase involved in apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, NF-κB, mTOR, and Notch signaling, with roles in IBD, cancer, and neurological diseases
PMID: 32486221
Disease Associationsⓘ20
ulcerative colitisOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
inflammatory bowel diseaseOpen Targets
0.53Moderate
ulcerative proctosigmoiditisOpen Targets
0.33Weak
intestinal diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
ankylosing spondylitisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
sclerosing cholangitisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.31Weak
psoriasisOpen Targets
0.30Weak
colitisOpen Targets
0.29Weak
enteritisOpen Targets
0.29Weak
X-linked agammaglobulinemiaOpen Targets
0.26Weak
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.24Weak
proctitisOpen Targets
0.17Weak
ulcer diseaseOpen Targets
0.16Weak
Autosomal recessive early-onset inflammatory bowel diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
inflammatory bowel disease 30Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
inflammatory bowel disease 29Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
Barrett's esophagusOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
esophageal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
LOC122513141Shared pathway100%KLHL24Shared pathway29%BFARShared pathway27%RNF4Shared pathway27%RNF187Shared pathway25%UBE3DShared pathway25%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Brain
58%
Ovary
48%
Bone Marrow
6%
Heart
0%
Lung
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
RNF186LOC122513141KLHL24BFARRNF4RNF187UBE3D
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9NXI6
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.87LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.08Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.98 [0.36–1.87]
RankingsWhere RNF186 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #13,506of 20,598
    Most Researched23
  • #17,042of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.87
Genes detectedRNF186
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Ubiquitination of cytoplasmic HMGB1 by RNF186 regulates hepatic lipophagy in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
PMID: 38158076
Metabolism · 2024
1.00
2
RNF186 regulates EFNB1 (ephrin B1)-EPHB2-induced autophagy in the colonic epithelial cells for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis.
PMID: 33280498
Autophagy · 2021
0.90
3
Systematic pan-cancer analysis of RNF186 with potential implications in progression and prognosis in human cancer.
PMID: 38160786
Life Sci · 2024
0.80
4
RNF186 gene variant and zonulin levels in inflammatory bowel disease: A pilot study.
PMID: 40328563
Arab J Gastroenterol · 2025
0.70
5
The E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF186 and
PMID: 34353900
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2021
0.60