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GeneE
10 sources retrieved Β· Most recent: April 2026 Β· Index updated 14 days ago
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TBCE
tubulin folding cofactor E
Chromosome 1 Β· 1q42.3
NCBI Gene: 6905Ensembl: ENSG00000284770.2HGNC: HGNC:11582UniProt: A0A2R8Y6Q1
77PubMed Papers
4Diseases
0Drugs
62Pathogenic Variants
RESEARCH IMPACT
Variant-Rich
CLINICAL
OMIM Disease Gene
DATA QUALITY
βœ“ Experimental GO Evidenceβœ“ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingmicrotubule cytoskeleton organizationpost-chaperonin tubulin folding pathwaymitotic spindle organizationulcerative colitisHypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndromeKenny-Caffey syndrome 1Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy
✦AI Summary

TBCE (tubulin folding cofactor E) is a molecular chaperone essential for tubulin heterodimer assembly and cytoskeletal organization. TBCE functions in the post-chaperonin tubulin folding pathway, regulating the second step of tubulin maturation and controlling heterodimer dissociation 1. The protein is critical for organizing the microtubule cytoskeleton, mitotic spindle formation, and maintaining neuronal microtubule networks. TBCE is differentially localized in gametes: in sperm it concentrates in the middle region and tail, while in oocytes it distributes cytosolically 1. Pathogenic TBCE variants cause three autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorders: Kenny-Caffey syndrome type 1 (KCS1), Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome, and progressive encephalopathy with amyotrophy and optic atrophy 2. KCS1 presents with short stature, hypoparathyroidism, electrolyte disturbances, dental abnormalities, ocular abnormalities, and intellectual disability as distinguishing features 3. TBCE mutations cause microtubule structural disturbances; in motor neurons this triggers retrograde degeneration and apoptosis 4, while in the cochlea mutations cause auditory nerve dysfunction and hair cell loss with progressive hearing loss 5. Recent studies reveal phenotypic expansion including rigid spine, eosinophilia, and testicular failure, with some variants producing partially functional proteins through alternative translation mechanisms 62. Beyond neurological roles, TBCE deficiency promotes vascular dysfunction through endoplasmic reticulum stress 7.

Sources cited
1
TBCE localization in gametes and role in microtubule dynamics during gametogenesis
PMID: 28583220
2
KCS1 phenotypic features including intellectual disability, growth retardation, hypoparathyroidism, and electrolyte disturbances
PMID: 36916904
3
TBCE's role in tubulin folding and association with three severe neurodevelopmental disorders; novel milder phenotype with amyotrophy and testicular failure
PMID: 39657131
4
TBCE mutations cause microtubule structural abnormalities leading to motor axon degeneration and motoneuron cell death
PMID: 12446740
5
TBCE mutation causes auditory nerve dysfunction and cochlear outer hair cell degeneration with progressive hearing loss
PMID: 24120439
6
Expanded TBCE-related phenotype including rigid spine, eosinophilia, neutropenia, and nocturnal hypoxemia
PMID: 39153170
7
TBCE deficiency promotes vascular dysfunction through endoplasmic reticulum stress and VSMC hyperproliferation
PMID: 34132336
Disease Associationsβ“˜4
ulcerative colitisOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophyUniProt
Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndromeUniProt
Kenny-Caffey syndrome 1UniProt
Pathogenic Variants62
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.100+1G>APathogenic
Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome|not provided|Disorder of sexual differentiation|TBCE-related disorder|Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome;Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy|Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome|Nonpapillary renal cell carcinoma
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2026
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.155_166del (p.Ser52_Gly55del)Pathogenic
Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome|Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome|not provided|Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy|TBCE-related disorder
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 52
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.464T>A (p.Ile155Asn)Pathogenic
Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy|not provided|TBCE-related disorder
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 155
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.143_144del (p.Lys48fs)Pathogenic
Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome|not provided|Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy;Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome|TBCE-related disorder
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 48
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.355_356del (p.Ile119fs)Pathogenic
Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome|Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 119
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.433A>T (p.Lys145Ter)Pathogenic
not provided|Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy;Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 145
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.636_639del (p.Asn212fs)Pathogenic
See cases|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 212
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.924del (p.Ser308_Leu309insTer)Pathogenic
Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy|TBCE-related disorder|not provided
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 308
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.1038del (p.Glu347fs)Likely pathogenic
not provided|Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome;Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy
β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†2023β†’ Residue 347
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.412del (p.Ala138fs)Pathogenic
TBCE-related disorder
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 138
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.1199del (p.Lys400fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 400
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.1214del (p.Asn405fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2025β†’ Residue 405
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.813T>G (p.Tyr271Ter)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 271
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.736del (p.Arg246fs)Likely pathogenic
Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy;Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 246
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.101-1G>CLikely pathogenic
not provided|Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome;Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.561-2A>GLikely pathogenic
Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy;Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.689del (p.Gly230fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 230
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.34C>T (p.Arg12Ter)Likely pathogenic
Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome;Encephalopathy, progressive, with amyotrophy and optic atrophy;Autosomal recessive Kenny-Caffey syndrome
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 12
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.1337dup (p.Thr447fs)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 447
NM_003193.5(TBCE):c.367C>T (p.Gln123Ter)Pathogenic
not provided
β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†2024β†’ Residue 123
View on ClinVar β†—
Related Genes
CPN1Protein interaction99%FAM111AProtein interaction95%TBCAProtein interaction73%SYVN1Protein interaction72%TBCDProtein interaction64%TBCBProtein interaction63%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Heart
29%
Liver
0%
Brain
0%
Ovary
0%
Lung
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TBCECPN1FAM111ATBCASYVN1TBCDTBCB
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB4ICV Β· 1.45 Γ… Β· X-ray
View on RCSB β†—
Constraintβ“˜
LOEUFβ“˜
0.87LoF Tolerant
pLIβ“˜
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.69 [0.55–0.87]
RankingsWhere TBCE stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #6,217of 20,598
    Most Researched77
  • #1,145of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants62 Β· top quartile
  • #7,635of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.87
Genes detectedTBCE
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response timeβ€”
πŸ“„ Sources
10β–Ό
1
Expression and localization of tubulin cofactors TBCD and TBCE in human gametes.
PMID: 28583220
Zygote Β· 2017
1.00
2
Expanding the Phenotypic Spectrum of Kenny-Caffey Syndrome.
PMID: 36916904
J Clin Endocrinol Metab Β· 2023
0.90
3
Hypoparathyroidism-retardation-dysmorphism syndrome in a girl: A new variant not caused by a TBCE mutation--clinical report and review.
PMID: 16470743
Am J Med Genet A Β· 2006
0.80
4
Mutation of the TBCE gene causes disturbance of microtubules in the auditory nerve and cochlear outer hair cell degeneration accompanied by progressive hearing loss in the pmn/pmn mouse.
PMID: 24120439
Exp Neurol Β· 2013
0.70
5
Expanding TBCE-related phenotype-novel variant causing rigid spine, eosinophilia, neutropenia, and nocturnal hypoxemia.
PMID: 39153170
J Appl Genet Β· 2025
0.60