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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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TMEM41B
transmembrane protein 41B
Chromosome 11 · 11p15.4
NCBI Gene: 440026Ensembl: ENSG00000166471.12HGNC: HGNC:28948UniProt: Q5BJD5
60PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transporter
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingphospholipid scramblase activityautophagosome assemblyintracellular lipid transportneurodegenerative diseasecoronary artery diseasecardiovascular diseasecoronary atherosclerosis
✦AI Summary

TMEM41B is an endoplasmic reticulum-resident phospholipid scramblase that mediates trans-bilayer shuttling of bulk phospholipids 1. Its primary function involves regulating cellular lipid homeostasis and organelle biogenesis, including lipoprotein secretion, autophagosome formation, and lipid droplet biogenesis 2. TMEM41B functions as a critical host dependency factor for coronavirus and flavivirus replication 34. Post-viral entry, TMEM41B facilitates ER membrane remodeling necessary for forming double-membrane vesicles (DMVs)—the replication organelles essential for viral genome replication 45. During this process, TMEM41B regulates phosphatidylserine distribution to enable DMV closure 5. Additionally, TMEM41B modulates cellular lipid and energy metabolism, particularly mitochondrial beta-oxidation, to support viral replication 6. Loss of hepatic TMEM41B paradoxically triggers nonalcoholic hepatosteatosis due to impaired lipoprotein secretion coupled with activated sterol regulatory element-binding protein signaling 2. Notably, natural polymorphisms in TMEM41B at ~20% frequency in East Asian populations reduce flavivirus susceptibility 3, suggesting therapeutic potential. These findings position TMEM41B as a promising broad-spectrum antiviral target.

Sources cited
1
TMEM41B is required for all flaviviruses and SARS-CoV-2; facilitates membrane curvature for viral replication; natural polymorphisms at 20% frequency in East Asia reduce infection
PMID: 33338421
2
TMEM41B is an ER lipid scramblase required for lipoprotein biogenesis; its loss causes hepatosteatosis due to stalled secretion and activated lipid synthesis
PMID: 34015269
3
TMEM41B and VMP1 are phospholipid scramblases regulating cholesterol and phosphatidylserine distribution essential for organelle biogenesis and viral infection
PMID: 33929485
4
TMEM41B is absolutely required for SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal coronavirus infection; genome-scale CRISPR screen identifying pan-coronavirus host factors
PMID: 33382968
5
TMEM41B regulates nsp3-nsp4 interaction and facilitates DMV formation; TMEM41B functions through phosphatidylserine distribution regulation
PMID: 35536318
6
TMEM41B modulates lipid and energy metabolism including mitochondrial beta-oxidation to facilitate dengue and coronavirus replication
PMID: 35939522
7
TMEM41B is required for CoV internalization, early replication, and double-membrane vesicle formation; targeting TMEM41B is promising for broad-spectrum antivirals
PMID: 34871328
8
TMEM41B possesses phospholipid scramblase activity regulating cholesterol and phosphatidylserine distribution
PMID: 34074213
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.43Moderate
cardiovascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
coronary atherosclerosisOpen Targets
0.31Weak
Flavivirus InfectionsOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
infectionOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
migraine disorderOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
isolated asymptomatic elevation of creatine phosphokinaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
dengue diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
severe malarial anemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hypertriglyceridemia 2Open Targets
0.04Suggestive
pancreatic triacylglycerol lipase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
viral diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Combined hyperlipidemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
familial hypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
homozygous familial hypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
sitosterolemia 2Open Targets
0.03Suggestive
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
VMP1Protein interaction61%PLSCR5Shared pathway33%CLPTM1LShared pathway33%TP53INP2Shared pathway33%RAB19Shared pathway25%SERINC2Shared pathway25%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Bone Marrow
79%
Lung
73%
Heart
48%
Brain
40%
Ovary
33%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TMEM41BVMP1PLSCR5CLPTM1LTP53INP2RAB19SERINC2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q5BJD5
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.83LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.27Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.42 [0.23–0.83]
RankingsWhere TMEM41B stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #7,716of 20,598
    Most Researched60
  • #7,139of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.83
Genes detectedTMEM41B
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
TMEM41B Is a Pan-flavivirus Host Factor.
PMID: 33338421
Cell · 2021
1.00
2
TMEM41B acts as an ER scramblase required for lipoprotein biogenesis and lipid homeostasis.
PMID: 34015269
Cell Metab · 2021
0.90
3
TMEM41B and VMP1 are scramblases and regulate the distribution of cholesterol and phosphatidylserine.
PMID: 33929485
J Cell Biol · 2021
0.80
4
Genome-Scale Identification of SARS-CoV-2 and Pan-coronavirus Host Factor Networks.
PMID: 33382968
Cell · 2021
0.70
5
VMP1 and TMEM41B are essential for DMV formation during β-coronavirus infection.
PMID: 35536318
J Cell Biol · 2022
0.60