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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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S100A3
S100 calcium binding protein A3
Chromosome 1 · 1q21.3
NCBI Gene: 6274Ensembl: ENSG00000188015.11HGNC: HGNC:10493UniProt: P33764
35PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
cytosolplasma membraneprotein bindingGolgi apparatusprostate cancerFamilial prostate cancerhepatocellular carcinomagastric cancer
✦AI Summary

S100A3 is a calcium and zinc-binding protein of the EF-hand S100 family, primarily involved in epithelial differentiation and hair cuticle formation 1. The protein contains ten cysteines forming disulfide bridges and a preformed zinc-binding pocket; post-translational citrullination at arginine residues enables calcium-dependent tetramer assembly 23. S100A3 structurally expanded upon calcium/zinc binding, stabilized by citrullination 3. Clinically, S100A3 demonstrates significant oncogenic roles across multiple cancer types. Expression is elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma 4, colorectal cancer (2.4-fold increase in tumor cells) 5, and castration-resistant prostate cancer 6. In prostate cancer, S100A3 suppression reduced cell viability via apoptosis, decreased invasion through MMP-2/MMP-9 downregulation, and inhibited xenograft tumor growth 6. In intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, S100A3 upregulation associates with enhanced cell migration/invasion 7. Additionally, S100A3 interacts directly with retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) and PML-RARα, regulating their stability and ATRA-induced differentiation across breast cancer, lung cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia 8. Pharmacological inhibition via sodium cantharidinate suppressed S100A3 expression in hepatocellular and colorectal cancer cells 45, suggesting therapeutic potential as a novel cancer treatment target.

Sources cited
1
S100A3 activation involved in HCC tumorigenesis and aggressiveness; sodium cantharidinate inhibits S100A3 expression
PMID: 28588665
2
S100A3 suppression reduces CRPC cell viability, apoptosis, invasion, MMP expression, and xenograft tumor growth
PMID: 25440760
3
S100A3 structure: high cysteine content (10%), disulfide bridges modulate Ca2+ affinity, zinc-binding site at C-terminus
PMID: 23296605
4
S100A3 expression 2.4-fold increased in colorectal cancer; cantharidinate inhibits S100A3 expression in CRC cells
PMID: 24255681
5
Citrullination at R51 essential for S100A3 Ca2+/Zn2+ stabilization and tetramer formation
PMID: 32149230
6
S100A3 dominant in hair cuticular cells; citrullination enables tetrameric calcium-bound state; S100A3 gene divergence coincided with mammalian hair emergence
PMID: 21664410
7
S100A3 directly interacts with RARα/PML-RARα, controlling their stability and ATRA-induced differentiation in breast, lung, APL, and AML cells
PMID: 30532072
8
S100A3 upregulation associates with cell migration and invasion activation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
PMID: 39831920
Disease Associationsⓘ20
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
Familial prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.11Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Familial ocular anterior segment mesenchymal dysgenesisOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neutropenia, severe congenital, 9, autosomal dominantOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
isolated congenital megalocorneaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
megalocorneaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
exfoliation syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
aniridiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
aniridia - intellectual disability syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Aniridia-intellectual disability syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
galactokinase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
isolated ectopia lentisOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
pulmonary arterial hypertensionOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
S100A16Protein interaction80%HRNRProtein interaction74%S100A1Protein interaction73%S100A2Protein interaction73%S100A13Protein interaction71%S100A10Protein interaction71%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Bone Marrow
17%
Heart
9%
Ovary
7%
Brain
5%
Liver
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
S100A3S100A16HRNRS100A1S100A2S100A13S100A10
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB3NSO · 1.45 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.74LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.13 [0.73–1.74]
RankingsWhere S100A3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #11,059of 20,598
    Most Researched35
  • #16,298of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.74
Genes detectedS100A3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Role of S100A3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma and the anticancer effect of sodium cantharidinate.
PMID: 28588665
Exp Ther Med · 2017
1.00
2
S100A3 suppression inhibits in vitro and in vivo tumor growth and invasion of human castration-resistant prostate cancer cells.
PMID: 25440760
Urology · 2015
0.90
3
Purification and characterization of the human cysteine-rich S100A3 protein and its pseudo citrullinated forms expressed in insect cells.
PMID: 23296605
Methods Mol Biol · 2013
0.80
4
Role of S100A3 in human colorectal cancer and the anticancer effect of cantharidinate.
PMID: 24255681
Exp Ther Med · 2013
0.70
5
Optimal Mutant Model of Human S100A3 Protein Citrullinated at Arg51 by Peptidylarginine Deiminase Type III and Its Solution Structural Properties.
PMID: 32149230
ACS Omega · 2020
0.60