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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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UNC5D
unc-5 netrin receptor D
Chromosome 8 · 8p12
NCBI Gene: 137970Ensembl: ENSG00000156687.11HGNC: HGNC:18634UniProt: C9J1I0
23PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Receptor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
cell-cell adhesionnetrin receptor activityaxon guidanceplasma membraneduodenal ulceradolescent idiopathic scoliosisinsomniaself-injurious ideation
✦AI Summary

UNC5D (unc-5 netrin receptor D) is a multifunctional guidance receptor and tumor suppressor with critical roles in neural development and cancer biology. As a netrin receptor, UNC5D mediates axon guidance and cell migration during neural development through interaction with GPC3, forming octameric complexes that guide pyramidal neuron migration and regulate cell guidance via glycan-mediated mechanisms 1. UNC5D functions as a dependence receptor promoting neuronal survival when bound to netrin ligands and mediates cell-cell adhesion through FLRT protein interactions 2. The receptor regulates apoptosis via p53-dependent mechanisms, acting as a direct p53 transcriptional target that induces apoptosis in response to DNA damage 3. Clinically, UNC5D exhibits tumor-suppressive properties frequently lost in multiple cancers. In renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer, UNC5D expression is downregulated through promoter hypermethylation (40.9-99.7% of cases) and loss of heterozygosity 4, 5, 6. Restoration of UNC5D inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while inducing G2-M cell-cycle arrest 5. Additionally, UNC5D genetic variants modify susceptibility to environmental neurotoxicity 7, and UNC5D inhibition impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells 8, suggesting broader metabolic functions. These findings establish UNC5D as a tumor suppressor with potential therapeutic and biomarker applications.

Sources cited
1
UNC5D forms octameric complexes with GPC3 mediated by glycan interactions and guides neural cell migration
PMID: 36240740
2
UNC5D interacts with FLRT2 to form super-complexes regulating cell adhesion and migration
PMID: 27091502
3
UNC5D is a direct p53 transcriptional target that induces p53-dependent apoptosis in response to DNA damage
PMID: 24691657
4
UNC5D promoter hypermethylation occurs in 98-99.7% of colorectal cancer samples with diagnostic biomarker potential
PMID: 33078631
5
UNC5D is a functional tumor suppressor frequently downregulated in renal cell carcinoma via promoter hypermethylation and LOH; restoration inhibits proliferation, migration, and induces G2-M arrest
PMID: 23589179
6
UNC5D suppresses prostate cancer metastasis through DAPK1 activation; downregulated by promoter hypermethylation in PCa
PMID: 30632669
7
UNC5D genetic variants modify neurodevelopmental outcomes in response to prenatal lead exposure
PMID: 28754176
8
UNC5D inhibition impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell survival
PMID: 35948367
Disease Associationsⓘ20
duodenal ulcerOpen Targets
0.32Weak
adolescent idiopathic scoliosisOpen Targets
0.32Weak
insomniaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
self-injurious ideationOpen Targets
0.30Weak
Abruptio PlacentaeOpen Targets
0.30Weak
tooth diseaseOpen Targets
0.28Weak
AnisometropiaOpen Targets
0.27Weak
cervical carcinomaOpen Targets
0.26Weak
scoliosisOpen Targets
0.25Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.25Weak
osteitis deformansOpen Targets
0.23Weak
pericarditisOpen Targets
0.23Weak
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.23Weak
obesityOpen Targets
0.21Weak
Calcium phosphate nephrolithiasisOpen Targets
0.20Weak
aortic atherosclerosisOpen Targets
0.18Weak
disease of peritoneumOpen Targets
0.17Weak
mouth neoplasmOpen Targets
0.16Weak
gastritisOpen Targets
0.15Weak
Abnormal blistering of the skinOpen Targets
0.14Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
PTPN11Protein interaction100%NTN1Protein interaction99%ADGRL1Protein interaction98%ADGRL2Protein interaction98%ADGRL3Protein interaction98%FLRT2Protein interaction98%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Bone Marrow
0%
Lung
0%
Heart
0%
Ovary
0%
Liver
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
UNC5DPTPN11NTN1ADGRL1ADGRL2ADGRL3FLRT2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q6UXZ4
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.47Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.99Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.36 [0.28–0.47]
RankingsWhere UNC5D stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #13,563of 20,598
    Most Researched23
  • #2,729of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.47 · top quartile
Genes detectedUNC5D
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
GPC3-Unc5 receptor complex structure and role in cell migration.
PMID: 36240740
Cell · 2022
1.00
2
Hypermethylated promoters of genes
PMID: 33078631
Epigenomics · 2020
0.90
3
Super-complexes of adhesion GPCRs and neural guidance receptors.
PMID: 27091502
Nat Commun · 2016
0.80
4
Unc5D regulates p53-dependent apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells.
PMID: 24691657
Mol Med Rep · 2014
0.70
5
The tumor-suppressive function of UNC5D and its repressed expression in renal cell carcinoma.
PMID: 23589179
Clin Cancer Res · 2013
0.60