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25 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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VASP
vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein
Chromosome 19 · 19q13.32
NCBI Gene: 7408Ensembl: ENSG00000125753.16HGNC: HGNC:12652UniProt: A0A024R0V4
246PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
profilin bindingcadherin bindingcell junctionprotein bindingneurodegenerative diseaseHypercholesterolemiabreast cancerhepatocellular carcinoma
✦AI Summary

VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) is a 39-kDa actin-binding protein that functions as an 'anti-capping' protein antagonizing capping proteins at actin filament barbed ends 1. VASP promotes actin filament elongation by facilitating profilin-bound actin monomer transfer to growing filament ends and localizes to focal adhesions, filopodial tips, and the lamellipodial leading edge 2. Through its proline-rich central domain, VASP recruits profilin and binds focal adhesion proteins vinculin and zyxin, directing local actin assembly during cell migration 2. VASP is phosphorylated at multiple sites by kinases including Abl, PKA, PKG, and AMPK, with phosphorylation regulating both actin dynamics and cellular localization 3. In disease contexts, VASP is significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and breast cancer, where elevated expression correlates with poor prognosis, advanced pathological stage, and aggressive phenotypes 45. In hepatocellular carcinoma, hypoxia-induced VASP upregulation promotes migration and invasion through AKT/ERK signaling and EMT activation via HIF-1α, miR-204, and TGF-β pathways 4. Functionally, VASP knockdown significantly reduces breast cancer cell migration and proliferation 5. VASP also regulates platelet aggregation by inhibiting filament disassembly during shape transformation 6 and participates in podocyte function and glomerular filtration barrier integrity 3.

Sources cited
1
VASP functions as an 'anti-capping' protein antagonizing capping proteins at actin filament barbed ends
PMID: 12432060
2
VASP localizes to focal adhesions and lamellipodial leading edges, recruits profilin through its proline-rich domain, and binds vinculin and zyxin to direct actin assembly
PMID: 9611773
3
VASP is phosphorylated at multiple sites by various kinases and regulates actin dynamics and podocyte function
PMID: 30968998
4
VASP is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma; hypoxia-induced upregulation promotes migration and invasion through HIF-1α, miR-204, and AKT/ERK/TGF-β signaling
PMID: 30279729
5
Elevated VASP expression in breast cancer correlates with poor prognosis and advanced pathological stage; VASP knockdown reduces cell migration and proliferation
PMID: 30008913
6
VASP inhibits filament disassembly in platelets during actin cytoskeleton reorganization and shape change
PMID: 12019562
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.21Weak
HypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.10Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
autosomal dominant macrothrombocytopeniaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
acute lung injuryOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
oral squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
thrombocytopenia 7Open Targets
0.08Suggestive
essential thrombocythemiaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
thrombocythemia 1Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
bleeding disorder, platelet-type, 24Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
rheumatoid arthritisOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
thrombocytopenia 9Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
Glanzmann thrombasthenia 1Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
platelet-type von Willebrand diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Rare hemorrhagic disorder due to a constitutional platelet anomalyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
platelet-type bleeding disorder 15Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ACTA1Protein interaction100%ACTG1Protein interaction100%CFL1Protein interaction100%CFL2Protein interaction100%CTTNProtein interaction100%GSNProtein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Bone Marrow
62%
Liver
29%
Heart
28%
Ovary
19%
Brain
13%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
VASPACTA1ACTG1CFL1CFL2CTTNGSN
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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PDB1USE · 1.30 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.75LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.54 [0.40–0.75]
RankingsWhere VASP stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #1,582of 20,598
    Most Researched246 · top 10%
  • #5,881of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.75
Genes detectedVASP
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
25▼
1
Hypoxia-induced up-regulation of VASP promotes invasiveness and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
PMID: 30279729
Theranostics · 2018
1.00
2
The Ena/VASP enigma.
PMID: 12432060
J Cell Sci · 2002
0.90
3
The mammalian actin elongation factor ENAH/MENA contributes to autophagosome formation via its actin regulatory function.
PMID: 38705725
Autophagy · 2024
0.84
4
Knockdown of RAC1 and VASP gene expression inhibits breast cancer cell migration.
PMID: 30008913
Oncol Lett · 2018
0.80
5
Mutations in Drosophila enabled and rescue by human vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) indicate important functional roles for Ena/VASP homology domain 1 (EVH1) and EVH2 domains.
PMID: 9693373
Mol Biol Cell · 1998
0.80