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26 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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VAPA
VAMP associated protein A
Chromosome 18 · 18p11.22
NCBI Gene: 9218Ensembl: ENSG00000101558.15HGNC: HGNC:12648UniProt: Q9P0L0
235PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
1Pathogenic Variants
RESEARCH IMPACT
Trending
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
endoplasmic reticulum organizationprotein folding in endoplasmic reticulumendoplasmic reticulum exit sitebicellular tight junctionhepatitis B virus infectionbenign neoplasmandrogenetic alopeciaTietze syndrome
✦AI Summary

VAPA (VAMP associated protein A) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchored protein that plays critical roles in membrane contact site formation and lipid transport. VAPA mediates the formation of contact sites between the ER and multiple organelles through interactions with FFAT motif-containing proteins 1. The protein enables cholesterol transport from the ER to endosomes via interaction with STARD3 and participates in neosynthesized protein export through WDR44 binding 23. VAPA serves as a crucial component in ER-lysosome contacts that enable cholesterol sensing by mTORC1, with OSBP-VAPA complexes delivering cholesterol to lysosomes for growth signaling activation 4. The protein's intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) provide conformational flexibility, allowing adaptation to various membrane contact sites including ER-mitochondria and ER-Golgi contacts 1. During cell motility, VAPA is essential for maintaining plasma membrane phosphoinositide levels, focal adhesion dynamics, and anchoring ventral ER-plasma membrane contact sites 5. VAPA also facilitates viral replication processes, with respiratory syncytial virus exploiting VAPA-mediated cholesterol transport to promote infection 6. Additionally, VAPA-enriched extracellular vesicles contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma bone metastasis by activating osteoclasts 7.

Sources cited
1
VAPA mediates membrane contact site formation through FFAT motif interactions and IDRs provide conformational flexibility
PMID: 36693319
2
VAPA interacts with WDR44 for neosynthesized protein export
PMID: 32344433
3
STARD3-VAPA interaction enables cholesterol transfer from ER to endosomes
PMID: 33124732
4
OSBP-VAPA complexes deliver cholesterol to lysosomes for mTORC1 activation
PMID: 31548609
5
VAPA is required for cell motility, plasma membrane phosphoinositide maintenance, and focal adhesion dynamics
PMID: 38446032
6
RSV exploits VAPA-mediated cholesterol transport to promote viral replication
PMID: 39060258
7
VAPA-enriched extracellular vesicles promote hepatocellular carcinoma bone metastasis through osteoclast activation
PMID: 36169100
Disease Associationsⓘ20
hepatitis B virus infectionOpen Targets
0.30Weak
benign neoplasmOpen Targets
0.29Weak
androgenetic alopeciaOpen Targets
0.17Weak
Tietze syndromeOpen Targets
0.13Weak
alopeciaOpen Targets
0.12Weak
rosaceaOpen Targets
0.11Weak
type 1 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.10Weak
systemic lupus erythematosusOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
sleep apneaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
pneumoniaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
oral squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
infectionOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
dyshidrosisOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants1
NM_194434.3(VAPA):c.34G>T (p.Glu12Ter)Likely pathogenic
Microcephaly
☆☆☆☆2025→ Residue 12
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ACBD5Protein interaction100%OSBPL9Protein interaction99%OSBPL10Protein interaction99%OSBPL5Protein interaction99%STARD3Protein interaction94%OSBP2Protein interaction94%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Bone Marrow
75%
Heart
68%
Lung
59%
Ovary
58%
Liver
35%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
VAPAACBD5OSBPL9OSBPL10OSBPL5STARD3OSBP2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB6TQR · 1.85 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.40Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.99Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.16 [0.07–0.40]
RankingsWhere VAPA stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #1,697of 20,598
    Most Researched235 · top 10%
  • #4,705of 5,498
    Most Pathogenic Variants1
  • #2,026of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.40 · top quartile
Genes detectedVAPA
Sources retrieved26 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
26▼
1
Reticulophagy and viral infection.
PMID: 39394962
Autophagy · 2025
1.00
2
ER-lysosome contacts enable cholesterol sensing by mTORC1 and drive aberrant growth signalling in Niemann-Pick type C.
PMID: 31548609
Nat Cell Biol · 2019
0.90
3
Cholesterol-rich lysosomes induced by respiratory syncytial virus promote viral replication by blocking autophagy flux.
PMID: 39060258
Nat Commun · 2024
0.80
4
MIGA2 Links Mitochondria, the ER, and Lipid Droplets and Promotes De Novo Lipogenesis in Adipocytes.
PMID: 31628041
Mol Cell · 2019
0.70
5
Point-of-care testing for viral-associated pulmonary aspergillosis.
PMID: 37688631
Expert Rev Mol Diagn · 2024
0.68