EMP3 Gene

Name	epithelial membrane protein 3
Description	The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the PMP-22/EMP/MP20 family of proteins. The protein contains four transmembrane domains and two N-linked glycosylation sites. It is thought to be involved in cell proliferation, cell-cell interactions and function as a tumor suppressor. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2015]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Epithelial membrane protein 3 (EMP3) is a four‐transmembrane glycoprotein whose function appears to be highly context dependent. In certain gliomas, for example, EMP3 is frequently silenced by promoter hypermethylation in oligodendroglial and lower‐grade astrocytic tumors—suggesting a tumor‐suppressive role in these settings."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "1", "end_ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In contrast, high EMP3 expression is observed in CD44‐high glioblastomas, where EMP3 interacts with TGF‐β receptor type 2 (TGFBR2) to enhance TGF‐β/Smad signaling, thereby promoting cell proliferation, migration, and overall tumor progression."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "4", "end_ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Likewise, in lung cancer studies divergent findings have been reported. One study noted that reduced EMP3 levels in non‐small cell lung cancers correlated with advanced p‐TNM stage and poorer post‐resection survival"}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "7"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ", whereas other work in lung cancer stem cells has demonstrated that EMP3 upregulation (in ALDH1‐expressing cells) contributes to epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness via activation of TGF‐β/Smad signaling."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "8"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In breast carcinoma, EMP3 overexpression has been linked with aggressive clinical features (including high histological grade, lymph node metastasis, and strong HER‐2 expression) and may influence aspects of DNA repair and cellular sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents—although its precise role appears to be nuanced."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "10", "end_ref": "12"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Beyond oncology, EMP3 has been identified as the molecular basis of the MAM blood group antigen; within erythroid cells, it associates with and stabilizes CD44, thereby influencing erythropoiesis."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "13"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Collectively, these studies implicate EMP3 in multiple oncogenic signaling pathways—including TGF‐β/Smad, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and EGFR cascades—with its function varying according to tumor type and cellular context. As both a potential tumor suppressor and promoter, EMP3 has emerged not only as a prognostic biomarker but also as a promising therapeutic target in several solid tumors.\n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Annegret Kunitz, Marietta Wolter, Jörg van den Boom, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "DNA hypermethylation and aberrant expression of the EMP3 gene at 19q13.3 in Human Gliomas."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Brain Pathol (2007)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1111/j.1750-3639.2007.00083.x"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3639.2007.00083.x"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17610521"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17610521"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Zheng Jiang, Wei Zhou, Xin-gang Li, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "[The methylation analysis of EMP3 and PCDH-gamma-A11 gene in human glioma]."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Zhonghua Wai Ke Za Zhi (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "20388442"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20388442"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Alice Pasini, Paolo Iorio, Emanuela Bianchi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "LOH 19q indicates shorter disease progression-free interval in low-grade oligodendrogliomas with EMP3 methylation."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oncol Rep (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3892/or.2012.2047"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2012.2047"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22992787"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22992787"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Fu Jun, Jidong Hong, Qin Liu, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Epithelial membrane protein 3 regulates TGF-β signaling activation in CD44-high glioblastoma."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oncotarget (2017)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.18632/oncotarget.11102"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.11102"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "27527869"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27527869"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Wen-Jing Zeng, Yong-Long Yang, Zheng-Zheng Liu, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Integrative Analysis of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression Identify a Three-Gene Signature for Predicting Prognosis in Lower-Grade Gliomas."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell Physiol Biochem (2018)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1159/000489954"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1159/000489954"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "29794476"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29794476"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Antoni Andreu Martija, Stefan Pusch "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The Multifunctional Role of EMP3 in the Regulation of Membrane Receptors Associated with IDH-Wild-Type Glioblastoma."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Mol Sci (2021)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3390/ijms22105261"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22105261"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "34067658"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34067658"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Qun Xue, Yiqun Zhou, Chunhua Wan, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Epithelial membrane protein 3 is frequently shown as promoter methylation and functions as a tumor suppressor gene in non-small cell lung cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Exp Mol Pathol (2013)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.yexmp.2013.07.001"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yexmp.2013.07.001"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "23920144"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23920144"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Yeon-Jee Kahm, Rae-Kwon Kim, Uhee Jung, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Epithelial membrane protein 3 regulates lung cancer stem cells via the TGF‑β signaling pathway."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Oncol (2021)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3892/ijo.2021.5261"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2021.5261"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "34476496"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34476496"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Anke Zhang, Houshi Xu, Zeyu Zhang, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Establishment of a nomogram with EMP3 for predicting clinical outcomes in patients with glioma: A bi-center study."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "CNS Neurosci Ther (2021)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1111/cns.13701"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.13701"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "34268874"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34268874"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Xiao Chun Hong, Yuan Jian Fen, Guo Chun Yan, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Epithelial membrane protein 3 functions as an oncogene and is regulated by microRNA-765 in primary breast carcinoma."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Med Rep (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3892/mmr.2015.4326"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2015.4326"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26398721"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26398721"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 11, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Wei Zhou, Zheng Jiang, Xingang Li, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "EMP3 overexpression in primary breast carcinomas is not associated with epigenetic aberrations."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Korean Med Sci (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3346/jkms.2009.24.1.97"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2009.24.1.97"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19270820"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19270820"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 12, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Kailing Zhou, Yu Sun, Dan Dong, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "EMP3 negatively modulates breast cancer cell DNA replication, DNA damage repair, and stem-like properties."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell Death Dis (2021)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/s41419-021-04140-6"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-021-04140-6"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "34511602"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34511602"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 13, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nicole Thornton, Vanja Karamatic Crew, Louise Tilley, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Disruption of the tumour-associated EMP3 enhances erythroid proliferation and causes the MAM-negative phenotype."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nat Commun (2020)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/s41467-020-17060-4"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17060-4"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "32678083"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32678083"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	YMP
Proteins	EMP3_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	2014
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Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

EMP3 has 8,636 functional associations with biological entities spanning 9 categories (molecular profile, organism, chemical, functional term, phrase or reference, disease, phenotype or trait, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA, sequence feature) extracted from 108 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for EMP3 from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

EMP3 Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq	tissue samples with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by RNA-seq dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures	small molecule perturbations changing expression of EMP3 gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of EMP3 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Proteomics	Cell lines associated with EMP3 protein from the CCLE Cell Line Proteomics dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with EMP3 gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of EMP3 gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of EMP3 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of EMP3 gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of EMP3 gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing EMP3 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components containing EMP3 protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with EMP3 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with EMP3 protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of EMP3 gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with EMP3 gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with EMP3 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with EMP3 gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DeepCoverMOA Drug Mechanisms of Action	small molecule perturbations with high or low expression of EMP3 protein relative to other small molecule perturbations from the DeepCoverMOA Drug Mechanisms of Action dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by EMP3 gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with EMP3 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with EMP3 gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with EMP3 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with EMP3 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at EMP3 gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of EMP3 gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of EMP3 gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing EMP3 from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset.
	GAD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with EMP3 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with EMP3 gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of EMP3 gene relative to other cell lines from the GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations	biological terms co-occuring with EMP3 gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset.