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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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VAV3
vav guanine nucleotide exchange factor 3
Chromosome 1 · 1p13.3
NCBI Gene: 10451Ensembl: ENSG00000134215.17HGNC: HGNC:12659UniProt: Q9UKW4
103PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
response to xenobiotic stimulusB cell receptor signaling pathwayimmunological synapsepositive regulation of B cell proliferationhypothyroidismcutaneous Leishmaniasisthyroid diseasemyxedema
✦AI Summary

VAV3 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that primarily activates Rho family GTPases (RhoA, RhoG, and Rac1) by catalyzing GDP-to-GTP exchange 1. It functions as a phosphorylation-dependent molecular switch that cycles between inactive and active conformations to regulate downstream signaling 1. VAV3 plays critical roles in angiogenesis, cell migration, and cytoskeletal organization through Rho GTPase activation 2. In immune cells, VAV3 mediates integrin and B cell receptor signaling, facilitating cell adhesion, phagocytosis, and proliferation 2. Clinically, VAV3 is implicated in multiple disease contexts. In cancer, elevated VAV3 promotes proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance 1. In rheumatoid arthritis, VAV3 overactivation drives pannus formation through enhanced neovascularization and osteoclast-mediated bone destruction 2. VAV3 variants (rs7528153 and rs1185222) associate with hypertension susceptibility, likely through Rho/Rac pathway modification in vascular smooth muscle 3. Emerging evidence suggests VAV3 regulates glucose and lipid metabolism, with potential relevance to diabetes and metabolic complications 4. In primary open-angle glaucoma, VAV3 dysregulation was identified as a hub gene in disease pathogenesis 5. These diverse roles position VAV3 as a potential therapeutic target across oncological, inflammatory, cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disease contexts.

Sources cited
1
VAV3 is a GEF activating Rho GTPases through GDP-GTP exchange; functions as phosphorylation-dependent molecular switch; promotes cancer cell proliferation, EMT, migration, invasion, survival while suppressing apoptosis
PMID: 37467637
2
VAV3 regulates cytoskeletal organization and angiogenesis; plays oncogenic role in cancer-associated neovascularization; drives pannus formation in rheumatoid arthritis through effects on cell invasion, osteoclasts, and inflammatory cells
PMID: 40618919
3
VAV3 regulates glycolipid metabolism by modifying cytoskeletal structure and glucose transporter function; participates in β-cell damage in type 1 diabetes and insulin release/glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes
PMID: 41354017
4
VAV3 rs7528153 and VAV3-AS1 rs1185222 polymorphisms associate with increased hypertension risk through potential Rho/Rac pathway modification in vascular smooth muscle
PMID: 32540412
5
VAV3 identified as hub gene in primary open-angle glaucoma pathogenesis through differential expression and co-expression network analysis
PMID: 37610681
6
VAV3 involved in monocyte-mediated vascular inflammation through PIP2-SP1-ACTN1/VAV3 signaling pathway in acute aortic dissection
PMID: 40057028
7
VAV3 mRNA stability regulated by DDX5-METTL3 m6A methylation axis; elevated VAV3 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression
PMID: 39289531
8
VAV3 rs7537605 polymorphism not associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in North-East Algerian population
PMID: 37092056
Disease Associationsⓘ20
hypothyroidismOpen Targets
0.54Moderate
cutaneous LeishmaniasisOpen Targets
0.50Moderate
thyroid diseaseOpen Targets
0.48Moderate
myxedemaOpen Targets
0.45Moderate
Hashimoto's thyroiditisOpen Targets
0.40Weak
thyroiditisOpen Targets
0.39Weak
autoimmune diseaseOpen Targets
0.39Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.39Weak
hyperthyroidismOpen Targets
0.36Weak
dementiaOpen Targets
0.32Weak
endocarditisOpen Targets
0.32Weak
autoimmune thyroid diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
cornea transplantationOpen Targets
0.30Weak
Facial wrinklingOpen Targets
0.29Weak
IGA glomerulonephritisOpen Targets
0.29Weak
ShockOpen Targets
0.29Weak
bronchial diseaseOpen Targets
0.29Weak
tricuspid valve diseaseOpen Targets
0.28Weak
hyperpituitarismOpen Targets
0.28Weak
ovarian dysfunctionOpen Targets
0.27Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ITKProtein interaction100%LCP2Protein interaction100%PLCG2Protein interaction100%PTPN6Protein interaction100%SYKProtein interaction100%TECProtein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
8%
Heart
5%
Brain
4%
Liver
3%
Ovary
1%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
VAV3ITKLCP2PLCG2PTPN6SYKTEC
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB2D86 · NMR
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.84LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.69 [0.56–0.84]
RankingsWhere VAV3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #4,668of 20,598
    Most Researched103 · top quartile
  • #7,253of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.84
Genes detectedVAV3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
VAV3 in human cancers: Mechanism and clinical implication.
PMID: 37467637
Pathol Res Pract · 2023
1.00
2
Unravelling the roles of Vav3 in cytoskeletal control and angiogenesis.
PMID: 40618919
Life Sci · 2025
0.90
3
Vav3, a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker of diabetes, regulates glycolipid metabolism.
PMID: 41354017
Mol Aspects Med · 2026
0.80
4
DDX5 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma growth through sustaining VAV3 mRNA stability.
PMID: 39289531
Oncogene · 2024
0.70
5
Rs7537605 polymorphism in VAV3 gene and rs28665122 polymorphism in SEPS gene are not associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in North-East Algerian population.
PMID: 37092056
Afr Health Sci · 2022
0.60