| Name | heat shock protein nuclear import factor hikeshi |
| Description | This gene encodes an evolutionarily conserved nuclear transport receptor that mediates heat-shock-induced nuclear import of 70 kDa heat-shock proteins (Hsp70s) through interactions with FG-nucleoporins. The protein mediates transport of the ATP form but not the ADP form of Hsp70 proteins under conditions of heat shock stress. Structural analyses demonstrate that the protein forms an asymmetric homodimer and that the N-terminal domain consists of a jelly-roll/beta-sandwich fold structure that contains hydrophobic pockets involved in FG-nucleoporin recognition. Reduction of RNA expression levels in HeLa cells using small interfering RNAs results in inhibition of heat shock-induced nuclear accumulation of Hsp70s, indicating a role for this gene in regulation of Hsp70 nuclear import during heat shock stress. [provided by RefSeq, Apr 2016] |
| Summary |
{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n HIKESHI is a novel and evolutionarily conserved nuclear transport receptor that plays a central role in cellular thermotolerance by mediating the heat stress–induced nuclear import of 70‐kDa heat shock proteins (Hsp70s)."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Unlike the canonical importin‐β pathways that depend on the small GTPase Ran, HIKESHI functions independently by directly interacting with FG‐nucleoporins, thus enabling the ATP‐bound form of Hsp70 to translocate into the nucleus during thermal stress."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " This nuclear entry of Hsp70 is essential for attenuating and reversing multiple stress‐induced nuclear phenotypes, thereby protecting cells from proteotoxic damage."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n In addition to its basic cellular function, structural studies have revealed that HIKESHI adopts an asymmetric homodimeric conformation with distinct domains that mediate its interactions both with Hsp70 and with nuclear pore FG repeats."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "2"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Dysfunction or depletion of HIKESHI impairs the nuclear import of Hsp70, exacerbating stress responses and reducing cell viability under heat shock or proteotoxic stress conditions."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Notably, inhibition of HIKESHI has been shown to potentiate the effects of hyperthermia in cancer models such as oral squamous cell carcinoma and gastric cancer, suggesting that targeting HIKESHI might enhance the efficacy of hyperthermia‐based therapies."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Moreover, genetic studies have demonstrated that mutations in HIKESHI are linked to congenital disorders characterized by hypomyelinating leukodystrophies and leukoencephalopathies, underscoring its importance in neural protection and myelin maintenance."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "7", "end_ref": "9"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In parallel, studies in plant systems have identified HIKESHI‐like proteins that similarly regulate the nuclear localization of Hsp70 isoforms to confer thermotolerance, indicating that the mechanism is broadly conserved across eukaryotes."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "10"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": ""}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n \n "}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\n Collectively, these findings establish HIKESHI as a critical mediator of the cellular stress response that preserves nuclear proteostasis, modulates heat shock signaling, and influences disease outcomes ranging from cancer progression to neurodevelopmental disorders."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}, {"type": "fg_f", "ref": "7"}, {"type": "fg_f", "ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " \n "}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Shingo Kose, Maiko Furuta, Naoko Imamoto "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hikeshi, a nuclear import carrier for Hsp70s, protects cells from heat shock-induced nuclear damage."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.058"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2012.02.058"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22541429"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22541429"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jinsue Song, Shingo Kose, Ai Watanabe, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Structural and functional analysis of Hikeshi, a new nuclear transport receptor of Hsp70s."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1107/S1399004714026881"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1107/S1399004714026881"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "25760597"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25760597"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Naoko Imamoto, Shingo Kose "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heat-shock stress activates a novel nuclear import pathway mediated by Hikeshi."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nucleus (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.4161/nucl.21713"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.4161/nucl.21713"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22895094"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22895094"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Khondoker Md Zulfiker Rahman, Hiroshi Mamada, Masatoshi Takagi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hikeshi modulates the proteotoxic stress response in human cells: Implication for the importance of the nuclear function of HSP70s."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Genes Cells (2017)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1111/gtc.12536"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/gtc.12536"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "28980748"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28980748"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Yoshiaki Tabuchi, Keita Maekawa, Misako Torigoe, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "HIKESHI silencing can enhance mild hyperthermia sensitivity in human oral squamous cell carcinoma HSC‑3 cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Mol Med (2020)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3892/ijmm.2020.4591"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2020.4591"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "32377716"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32377716"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Toru Yanoma, Kyoichi Ogata, Takehiko Yokobori, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Heat shock-induced HIKESHI protects cell viability via nuclear translocation of heat shock protein 70."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Oncol Rep (2017)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3892/or.2017.5844"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2017.5844"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "28731175"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28731175"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Simon Edvardson, Shingo Kose, Chaim Jalas, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Leukoencephalopathy and early death associated with an Ashkenazi-Jewish founder mutation in the Hikeshi gene."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Med Genet (2016)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1136/jmedgenet-2015-103232"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1136/jmedgenet-2015-103232"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26545878"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26545878"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Catalina Vasilescu, Pirjo Isohanni, Maarit Palomäki, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Absence of Hikeshi, a nuclear transporter for heat-shock protein HSP70, causes infantile hypomyelinating leukoencephalopathy."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Eur J Hum Genet (2017)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/ejhg.2016.189"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/ejhg.2016.189"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "28000699"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28000699"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Guy Helman, Ayelet Zerem, Akshata Almad, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Further Delineation of the Clinical and Pathologic Features of HIKESHI-Related Hypomyelinating Leukodystrophy."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Pediatr Neurol (2021)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2021.04.014"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2021.04.014"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "34111619"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34111619"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Shinya Koizumi, Naohiko Ohama, Junya Mizoi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Functional analysis of the Hikeshi-like protein and its interaction with HSP70 in Arabidopsis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Biochem Biophys Res Commun (2014)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.05.128"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.05.128"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24942879"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24942879"}]}]}]}
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| NCBI Gene ID | 51501 |
| API | |
| Download Associations | |
| Predicted Functions |
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| Co-expressed Genes |
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| Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines |
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HIKESHI has 1,926 functional associations with biological entities spanning 5 categories (chemical, disease, phenotype or trait, functional term, phrase or reference, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA) extracted from 47 datasets.
Click the + buttons to view associations for HIKESHI from the datasets below.
If available, associations are ranked by standardized value
| Dataset | Summary | |
|---|---|---|
| Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles | tissue samples with high or low expression of HIKESHI gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset. | |
| Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures | small molecule perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset. | |
| CCLE Cell Line Proteomics | Cell lines associated with HIKESHI protein from the CCLE Cell Line Proteomics dataset. | |
| CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations | cell types associated with HIKESHI gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset. | |
| ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 | transcription factors binding the promoter of HIKESHI gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset. | |
| ClinVar Gene-Phenotype Associations 2025 | phenotypes associated with HIKESHI gene from the curated ClinVar Gene-Phenotype Associations 2025 dataset. | |
| CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas | gene perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas dataset. | |
| CM4AI U2OS Cell Map Protein Localization Assemblies | assemblies containing HIKESHI protein from integrated AP-MS and IF data from the CM4AI U2OS Cell Map Protein Localization Assemblies dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components containing HIKESHI protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components containing HIKESHI protein in low- or high-throughput protein localization assays from the COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 | cellular components co-occuring with HIKESHI protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| DeepCoverMOA Drug Mechanisms of Action | small molecule perturbations with high or low expression of HIKESHI 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 HIKESHI gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset. | |
| DISEASES Curated Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025 | diseases involving HIKESHI gene from the DISEASES Curated Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025 | diseases associated with HIKESHI gene in GWAS datasets from the DISEASES Experimental Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025 | diseases co-occuring with HIKESHI 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 HIKESHI gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset. | |
| DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations | phenotypes associated with HIKESHI gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset. | |
| GO Biological Process Annotations 2023 | biological processes involving HIKESHI gene from the curated GO Biological Process Annotations 2023 dataset. | |
| GO Biological Process Annotations 2025 | biological processes involving HIKESHI gene from the curated GO Biological Process Annotations2025 dataset. | |
| GO Cellular Component Annotations 2023 | cellular components containing HIKESHI protein from the curated GO Cellular Component Annotations 2023 dataset. | |
| GO Cellular Component Annotations 2025 | cellular components containing HIKESHI protein from the curated GO Cellular Component Annotations 2025 dataset. | |
| GO Molecular Function Annotations 2023 | molecular functions performed by HIKESHI gene from the curated GO Molecular Function Annotations 2023 dataset. | |
| GO Molecular Function Annotations 2025 | molecular functions performed by HIKESHI gene from the curated GO Molecular Function Annotations 2025 dataset. | |
| GTEx Tissue Gene Expression Profiles 2023 | tissues with high or low expression of HIKESHI gene relative to other tissues from the GTEx Tissue Gene Expression Profiles 2023 dataset. | |
| GTEx Tissue-Specific Aging Signatures | tissue samples with high or low expression of HIKESHI gene relative to other tissue samples from the GTEx Tissue-Specific Aging Signatures dataset. | |
| GWAS Catalog SNP-Phenotype Associations 2025 | phenotypes associated with HIKESHI gene in GWAS datasets from the GWAS Catalog SNP-Phenotype Associations 2025 dataset. | |
| IMPC Knockout Mouse Phenotypes | phenotypes of mice caused by HIKESHI gene knockout from the IMPC Knockout Mouse Phenotypes dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Human Transcription Factor Targets 2025 | transcription factors regulating expression of HIKESHI gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Human Transcription Factor Targets dataset. | |
| JASPAR Predicted Mouse Transcription Factor Targets 2025 | transcription factors regulating expression of HIKESHI gene predicted using known transcription factor binding site motifs from the JASPAR Predicted Mouse Transcription Factor Targets 2025 dataset. | |
| LINCS L1000 CMAP Chemical Perturbation Consensus Signatures | small molecule perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the LINCS L1000 CMAP Chemical Perturbations Consensus Signatures dataset. | |
| LINCS L1000 CMAP CRISPR Knockout Consensus Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the LINCS L1000 CMAP CRISPR Knockout Consensus Signatures dataset. | |
| MGI Mouse Phenotype Associations 2023 | phenotypes of transgenic mice caused by HIKESHI gene mutations from the MGI Mouse Phenotype Associations 2023 dataset. | |
| NIBR DRUG-seq U2OS MoA Box Gene Expression Profiles | drug perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the NIBR DRUG-seq U2OS MoA Box dataset. | |
| PFOCR Pathway Figure Associations 2023 | pathways involving HIKESHI protein from the PFOCR Pathway Figure Associations 2023 dataset. | |
| PFOCR Pathway Figure Associations 2024 | pathways involving HIKESHI protein from the Wikipathways PFOCR 2024 dataset. | |
| Reactome Pathways 2024 | pathways involving HIKESHI protein from the Reactome Pathways 2024 dataset. | |
| Replogle et al., Cell, 2022 K562 Essential Perturb-seq Gene Perturbation Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the Replogle et al., Cell, 2022 K562 Essential Perturb-seq Gene Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| Replogle et al., Cell, 2022 K562 Genome-wide Perturb-seq Gene Perturbation Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the Replogle et al., Cell, 2022 K562 Genome-wide Perturb-seq Gene Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| Replogle et al., Cell, 2022 RPE1 Essential Perturb-seq Gene Perturbation Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the Replogle et al., Cell, 2022 RPE1 Essential Perturb-seq Gene Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| Rummagene Transcription Factor Associations 2026 | transcription factors regulating expression of HIKESHI gene from the Rummagene Transcription Factor Associations 2026 dataset. | |
| RummaGEO Drug Perturbation Signatures | drug perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the RummaGEO Drug Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| RummaGEO Gene Perturbation Signatures | gene perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the RummaGEO Gene Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| Sci-Plex Drug Perturbation Signatures | drug perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the Sci-Plex Drug Perturbation Signatures dataset. | |
| Tahoe Therapeutics Tahoe 100M Perturbation Atlas | drug perturbations changing expression of HIKESHI gene from the Tahoe Therapeutics Tahoe 100M Perturbation Atlas dataset. | |
| TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues with high expression of HIKESHI protein from the TISSUES Curated Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |
| TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 | tissues co-occuring with HIKESHI protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the TISSUES Text-mining Tissue Protein Expression Evidence Scores 2025 dataset. | |