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7 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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UBE2D4
ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2 D4
Chromosome 7 · 7p13
NCBI Gene: 51619Ensembl: ENSG00000078967.14HGNC: HGNC:21647UniProt: Q9Y2X8
51PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein ubiquitinationubiquitin-protein transferase activityprotein bindingubiquitin conjugating enzyme activityShockAbnormality of the skeletal systemgliomaSepsis
✦AI Summary

UBE2D4 is an E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme that catalyzes covalent ubiquitin attachment to substrate proteins, with preference for Lys-11 and Lys-48-linked polyubiquitination 1. The enzyme facilitates p53 ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation through interaction with E3 ligases including CHIP and MDM2 2, 3. Disease relevance centers on environmental toxicology and cancer. Cadmium and arsenic exposure suppress UBE2D4 expression via inhibition of transcription factors YY1 and FOXF1, leading to p53 accumulation and p53-dependent apoptosis in renal proximal tubular cells 4, 2, 5. This mechanism is critical for heavy metal-induced renal toxicity, though the p53-UBE2D4 pathway shows tissue-specific regulation 6. Conversely, in glioma, UBE2D4 is upregulated through YY1-mediated transcriptional activation and promotes tumor progression by enhancing p53 degradation, thereby accelerating G2/M cell cycle progression and enabling evasion of p53-dependent tumor suppression 3. UBE2D4 upregulation in glioma correlates with poor patient survival, positioning it as a potential therapeutic target. These opposing roles—protective through p53 stabilization in toxicology but oncogenic through p53 suppression in cancer—reflect context-dependent pathway regulation.

Sources cited
1
Cadmium downregulates UBE2D4 expression, directly associated with cytotoxicity expression
PMID: 40806643
2
UBE2D4 structural details and active site identification for cancer drug discovery targeting
PMID: 28405240
3
UBE2D4 downregulation by cadmium leads to p53 accumulation and apoptosis in renal proximal tubular cells
PMID: 26912277
4
UBE2D enzymes promote p53 ubiquitination and degradation; arsenic suppresses UBE2D4 expression with p53 accumulation
PMID: 24212999
5
Cadmium suppresses UBE2D family gene expression including UBE2D4, causing p53-dependent apoptosis in renal tissue
PMID: 23095357
6
Cadmium effects on UBE2D2 and UBE2D4 expression and p53 levels show tissue-specific variation
PMID: 26977261
7
YY1 transcriptionally activates UBE2D4 in glioma; UBE2D4 promotes p53 degradation and G2/M progression; upregulation correlates with poor survival
PMID: 41713576
Disease Associationsⓘ20
ShockOpen Targets
0.12Weak
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
SepsisOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
retinal degenerationOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
acute lung injuryOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
esophageal cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
glioma susceptibility 1Open Targets
0.00Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Hereditary breast cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
hereditary breast carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
lymphomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
ThymomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
thyroid cancer, nonmedullary, 1Open Targets
0.00Suggestive
Uterine CarcinosarcomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
SKP1Protein interaction100%BTRCProtein interaction100%CUL1Protein interaction100%RPS27AProtein interaction97%UBCProtein interaction97%UBBProtein interaction97%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Heart
98%
Liver
88%
Lung
42%
Ovary
41%
Bone Marrow
17%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
UBE2D4SKP1BTRCCUL1RPS27AUBCUBB
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9Y2X8
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.06LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.69 [0.46–1.06]
RankingsWhere UBE2D4 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #8,751of 20,598
    Most Researched51
  • #10,636of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.06
Genes detectedUBE2D4
Sources retrieved7 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
7▼
1
Molecular Mechanisms of Cadmium-Induced Toxicity and Its Modification.
PMID: 40806643
Int J Mol Sci · 2025
1.00
2
Targeting the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2D4 for cancer drug discovery-a structure-based approach.
PMID: 28405240
J Chem Biol · 2017
0.86
3
Accumulation of p53 via down-regulation of UBE2D family genes is a critical pathway for cadmium-induced renal toxicity.
PMID: 26912277
Sci Rep · 2016
0.71
4
Inorganic arsenic induces apoptosis through downregulation of Ube2d genes and p53 accumulation in rat proximal tubular cells.
PMID: 24212999
J Toxicol Sci · 2013
0.57
5
[Cadmium induces p53-dependent apoptosis through the inhibition of Ube2d family gene expression].
PMID: 23095357
Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi · 2012
0.43