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GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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TMPRSS4
transmembrane serine protease 4
Chromosome 11 · 11q23.3
NCBI Gene: 56649Ensembl: ENSG00000137648.20HGNC: HGNC:11878UniProt: A0AAQ5BHV4
65PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Protease
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
regulation of gene expressionnegative regulation of growth rateproteolysisprotein processingneurodegenerative diseaseautosomal recessive cerebral atrophyhyperaldosteronismcandidiasis
✦AI Summary

TMPRSS4 (transmembrane protease serine 4) is a type II transmembrane serine protease that plays critical roles in both cancer progression and viral infections 1. The protein functions as a cell surface-associated protease with serine-type peptidase activity, facilitating proteolytic cleavage of various substrates 2. In cancer, TMPRSS4 promotes tumor progression by facilitating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), leading to increased invasion, migration, and metastasis 3. Mechanistically, TMPRSS4 downregulates E-cadherin while upregulating integrin-α5 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator, activating intracellular signaling pathways including FAK, Src, Akt, and ERK1/2 1. In viral infections, TMPRSS4 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 entry into human small intestinal enterocytes by cleaving viral spike glycoproteins, promoting fusogenic activity 4. Additionally, TMPRSS4 cleaves SIGLEC12 during necroptosis to produce a fragment required for plasma membrane rupture, contributing to this form of programmed cell death 5. Clinically, TMPRSS4 is overexpressed in multiple cancer types including pancreatic, colorectal, gastric, lung, thyroid, and prostate cancers, with elevated expression correlating with poor prognosis 21. These findings establish TMPRSS4 as a potential therapeutic target in both cancer and infectious diseases.

Sources cited
1
TMPRSS4 is a type II transmembrane serine protease associated with cancer progression and poor prognosis
PMID: 25203520
2
TMPRSS4 is overexpressed in multiple cancer types and correlates with poor prognosis
PMID: 37009799
3
TMPRSS4 promotes invasion, migration and metastasis by facilitating epithelial-mesenchymal transition
PMID: 17968309
4
TMPRSS4 facilitates SARS-CoV-2 infection by cleaving spike glycoproteins in intestinal enterocytes
PMID: 32404436
5
TMPRSS4 cleaves SIGLEC12 during necroptosis to produce fragments required for plasma membrane rupture
PMID: 41225007
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.41Moderate
autosomal recessive cerebral atrophyOpen Targets
0.37Weak
hyperaldosteronismOpen Targets
0.17Weak
candidiasisOpen Targets
0.14Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
endometrial cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
thyroid cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
lung neoplasmOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Neoplasm of the lungOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ACE2Protein interaction100%TMPRSS2Protein interaction74%PJVKProtein interaction74%TMPRSS11FShared pathway50%PRSS41Shared pathway50%PRSS51Shared pathway50%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
55%
Brain
44%
Liver
24%
Ovary
15%
Heart
9%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TMPRSS4ACE2TMPRSS2PJVKTMPRSS11FPRSS41PRSS51
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9NRS4
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.94LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.73 [0.57–0.94]
RankingsWhere TMPRSS4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #7,211of 20,598
    Most Researched65
  • #8,742of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.94
Genes detectedTMPRSS4
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
SIGLEC12 mediates plasma membrane rupture during necroptotic cell death.
PMID: 41225007
Nature · 2026
1.00
2
TMPRSS2 and TMPRSS4 promote SARS-CoV-2 infection of human small intestinal enterocytes.
PMID: 32404436
Sci Immunol · 2020
0.90
3
TMPRSS4, a type II transmembrane serine protease, as a potential therapeutic target in cancer.
PMID: 37009799
Exp Mol Med · 2023
0.80
4
TMPRSS4: an emerging potential therapeutic target in cancer.
PMID: 25203520
Br J Cancer · 2015
0.70
5
TMPRSS4 promotes invasion, migration and metastasis of human tumor cells by facilitating an epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
PMID: 17968309
Oncogene · 2008
0.60