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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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WDR3
WD repeat domain 3
Chromosome 1 · 1p12
NCBI Gene: 10885Ensembl: ENSG00000065183.17HGNC: HGNC:12755UniProt: Q5TDG3
122PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
RNA bindingribosomal small subunit biogenesisnucleoplasmnucleolusage-related hearing impairmentrespiratory tract infectious disorderneurodegenerative diseasepreeclampsia
✦AI Summary

WDR3 (WD repeat domain 3) is a nuclear protein containing 10 WD repeat modules that functions as a component of the small subunit (SSU) processome, the first precursor of the small eukaryotic ribosomal subunit 1. During ribosomal biogenesis, WDR3 participates in RNA folding, modifications, rearrangements, and cleavage of pre-rRNA within the nucleolus. Beyond its ribosomal function, WDR3 operates in multiple cellular pathways including signal transduction, cell cycle progression, and gene regulation 1. WDR3 exhibits oncogenic properties across several malignancies. In prostate cancer, WDR3 overexpression promotes stem cell-like properties by ubiquitinating and degrading USF2, thereby inhibiting RASSF1A transcription 2. In pancreatic cancer, WDR3 activates the Hippo signaling pathway through GATA4 interaction, promoting YAP1 expression and tumor progression 3. WDR3 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in osteosarcoma, and its phase separation mediates Nilotinib therapeutic response 4. WDR3 was identified as a core gene in colorectal cancer networks 5, and WDR3 variants show association with thyroid cancer risk 6. Additionally, WDR3 variants exhibit sex-specific association with schizophrenia in females 7. These findings suggest WDR3 represents a potential therapeutic target across multiple cancer types and psychiatric conditions.

Sources cited
1
WDR3 is a 943-amino-acid nuclear protein with 10 WD repeat modules, widely expressed in multiple tissues, mapping to 1p12-p13
PMID: 10395803
2
WDR3 undergoes phase separation in osteosarcoma and mediates Nilotinib therapeutic response through liquid-liquid phase separation
PMID: 40646517
3
WDR3 promotes prostate cancer stem cell-like properties by ubiquitinating USF2, inhibiting RASSF1A transcription
PMID: 36905106
4
WDR3 identified as core gene in colorectal cancer protein interaction networks
PMID: 37904456
5
WDR3 genetic variants show sex-specific association with schizophrenia in female patients
PMID: 29309433
6
WDR3 gene haplotype variants increase thyroid cancer risk and WDR3 expression is altered in thyroid cancer cells
PMID: 20578902
7
WDR3 overexpression activates Hippo pathway through GATA4 interaction in pancreatic cancer, promoting YAP1 expression and tumor progression
PMID: 33648545
8
WDR3 is strongly associated with BYSL expression in melanoma and immune cell infiltration
PMID: 38980088
Disease Associationsⓘ20
age-related hearing impairmentOpen Targets
0.31Weak
respiratory tract infectious disorderOpen Targets
0.19Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.14Weak
preeclampsiaOpen Targets
0.12Weak
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.11Weak
attention deficit hyperactivity disorderOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder 8Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
hereditary attention deficit-hyperactivity disorderOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
intellectual disability, autosomal recessive 59Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
schizophrenia 15Open Targets
0.07Suggestive
schizophreniaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
sinusitisOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Phelan-McDermid syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
autismOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
X-linked non-syndromic intellectual disabilityOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
androgenetic alopeciaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Potocki-Lupski syndromeOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
X-linked dominant intellectual disability - epilepsy syndromeOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
FSAF1Shared pathway100%NOL7Shared pathway100%MCCProtein interaction100%NOP14Protein interaction100%BMS1Protein interaction100%MYBBP1AProtein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Heart
93%
Liver
88%
Ovary
73%
Lung
63%
Bone Marrow
35%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
WDR3FSAF1NOL7MCCNOP14BMS1MYBBP1A
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB7MQA · 2.70 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.78LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.64 [0.54–0.78]
RankingsWhere WDR3 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #3,870of 20,598
    Most Researched122 · top quartile
  • #6,374of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.78
Genes detectedWDR3
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Cloning and expression analysis of a novel WD repeat gene, WDR3, mapping to 1p12-p13.
PMID: 10395803
Genomics · 1999
1.00
2
WDR3 undergoes phase separation to mediate the therapeutic mechanism of Nilotinib against osteosarcoma.
PMID: 40646517
J Exp Clin Cancer Res · 2025
0.90
3
WDR3 promotes stem cell-like properties in prostate cancer by inhibiting USF2-mediated transcription of RASSF1A.
PMID: 36905106
J Gene Med · 2023
0.80
4
RRP9 and DDX21 as new biomarkers of colorectal cancer.
PMID: 37904456
Medicine (Baltimore) · 2023
0.70
5
Association studies of WD repeat domain 3 and chitobiosyldiphosphodolichol beta-mannosyltransferase genes with schizophrenia in a Japanese population.
PMID: 29309433
PLoS One · 2018
0.60