OGFR Gene

Name	opioid growth factor receptor
Description	The protein encoded by this gene is a receptor for opioid growth factor (OGF), also known as [Met(5)]-enkephalin. OGF is a negative regulator of cell proliferation and tissue organization in a variety of processes. The encoded unbound receptor for OGF has been localized to the outer nuclear envelope, where it binds OGF and is translocated into the nucleus. The coding sequence of this gene contains a polymorphic region of 60 nt tandem imperfect repeat units. Several transcripts containing between zero and eight repeat units have been reported. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nThe opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) is the critical mediator of the actions of its ligand, opioid growth factor (OGF, [Met(5)]-enkephalin), which functions as a tonically active, endogenous inhibitor of cell proliferation. In both normal and cancerous cells, the OGF–OGFr axis modulates cell replication by upregulating cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors such as p16(INK4a) and p21(WAF1/CIP1), thereby regulating cell cycle progression and DNA synthesis without triggering cell death. This inhibitory mechanism is evident in several biological contexts, including normal cells and diverse human cancers such as ovarian, lung, and hepatocellular carcinoma, where disruption of the axis correlates with increased proliferation."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "1", "end_ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nAt the molecular level, the proper function of OGFr depends on its nucleocytoplasmic trafficking. After synthesis, OGFr transits from the outer nuclear envelope into the nucleus, a process that is strictly dependent on intact nuclear localization signals. This subcellular distribution is essential for OGFr to interact with key cell cycle regulators, culminating in the elevation of CDK inhibitors and subsequent inhibition of DNA synthesis, thereby enforcing cell cycle arrest."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nTherapeutic manipulation of the OGF–OGFr axis has been shown to markedly influence tumor progression. Overexpression of OGFr in pancreatic, head and neck, and ovarian cancer cells leads to reduced tumor incidence, diminished tumor volumes, and prolonged latency periods, whereas silencing or diminished expression of OGFr is associated with accelerated cell proliferation and tumor progression. Moreover, pharmacological interventions—such as the use of the opioid antagonist methylnaltrexone to transiently block the growth-suppressive pathway—can “release” dormant cancer cells from arrest, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents. These findings underscore the potential of targeting the OGF–OGFr system both as a prognostic marker and as an innovative therapeutic strategy across a spectrum of neoplasias."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_fs", "start_ref": "8", "end_ref": "14"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Fan Cheng, Patricia J McLaughlin, Michael F Verderame, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The OGF-OGFr axis utilizes the p16INK4a and p21WAF1/CIP1 pathways to restrict normal cell proliferation."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Biol Cell (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1091/mbc.e08-07-0681"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e08-07-0681"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18923142"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18923142"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ian S Zagon, Renee N Donahue, Patricia J McLaughlin "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Opioid growth factor-opioid growth factor receptor axis is a physiological determinant of cell proliferation in diverse human cancers."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1152/ajpregu.00414.2009"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00414.2009"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19675283"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19675283"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Renee N Donahue, Patricia J McLaughlin, Ian S Zagon "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Cell proliferation of human ovarian cancer is regulated by the opioid growth factor-opioid growth factor receptor axis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1152/ajpregu.00075.2009"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00075.2009"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19297547"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19297547"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ji Yeon Kim, Hyun Joo Ahn, Jin Kyoung Kim, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Morphine Suppresses Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation Through the Interaction with Opioid Growth Factor Receptor: An In Vitro and Human Lung Tissue Study."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Anesth Analg (2016)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1213/ANE.0000000000001293"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000001293"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "27167686"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27167686"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Diego M Avella, Eric T Kimchi, Renee N Donahue, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The opioid growth factor-opioid growth factor receptor axis regulates cell proliferation of human hepatocellular cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (2010)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1152/ajpregu.00646.2009"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00646.2009"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19923357"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19923357"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Fan Cheng, Patricia J McLaughlin, Michael F Verderame, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Dependence on nuclear localization signals of the opioid growth factor receptor in the regulation of cell proliferation."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Exp Biol Med (Maywood) (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3181/0901-RM-16"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3181/0901-RM-16"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19244545"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19244545"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ian S Zagon, Renee Donahue, Patricia J McLaughlin "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Targeting the opioid growth factor: opioid growth factor receptor axis for treatment of human ovarian cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Exp Biol Med (Maywood) (2013)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1177/1535370213488483"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370213488483"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "23856908"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23856908"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ian S Zagon, Shawn Kreiner, Jeffery J Heslop, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Prevention and delay in progression of human pancreatic cancer by stable overexpression of the opioid growth factor receptor."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Oncol (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18636152"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18636152"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Patricia J McLaughlin, Michael F Verderame, Jody L Hankins, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Overexpression of the opioid growth factor receptor downregulates cell proliferation of human squamous carcinoma cells of the head and neck."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Mol Med (2007)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17273790"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17273790"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Masami Suzuki, Fumiko Chiwaki, Yumi Sawada, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Peripheral opioid antagonist enhances the effect of anti-tumor drug by blocking a cell growth-suppressive pathway in vivo."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "PLoS One (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1371/journal.pone.0123407"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123407"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "25853862"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25853862"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 11, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Patricia J McLaughlin, Ian S Zagon "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Progression of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is associated with down-regulation of the opioid growth factor receptor."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Oncol (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16685459"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16685459"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 12, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Patricia J McLaughlin, Ian S Zagon, Sunny S Park, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Growth inhibition of thyroid follicular cell-derived cancers by the opioid growth factor (OGF) - opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) axis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "BMC Cancer (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1186/1471-2407-9-369"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-9-369"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19835629"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19835629"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 13, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Renee N Donahue, Patricia J McLaughlin, Ian S Zagon "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Under-expression of the opioid growth factor receptor promotes progression of human ovarian cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Exp Biol Med (Maywood) (2012)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1258/ebm.2011.011321"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1258/ebm.2011.011321"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "22328595"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22328595"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 14, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ian S Zagon, Patricia J McLaughlin "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Opioid growth factor receptor is unaltered with the progression of human pancreatic and colon cancers."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Int J Oncol (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16820893"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16820893"}]}]}]}
Proteins	OGFR_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	11054
API
Download Associations
Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

OGFR has 5,698 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 111 datasets.

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

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

OGFR Gene

Functional Associations

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

	Dataset	Summary
	Achilles Cell Line Gene Essentiality Profiles	cell lines with fitness changed by OGFR gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the Achilles Cell Line Gene Essentiality Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of OGFR gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of OGFR 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 OGFR gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Proteomics	Cell lines associated with OGFR protein from the CCLE Cell Line Proteomics dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with OGFR 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 OGFR gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of OGFR 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 OGFR gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	CM4AI U2OS Cell Map Protein Localization Assemblies	assemblies containing OGFR protein from integrated AP-MS and IF data from the CM4AI U2OS Cell Map Protein Localization Assemblies dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of OGFR gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing OGFR protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing OGFR protein in low- or high-throughput protein localization assays from the COMPARTMENTS Experimental Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with OGFR gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with OGFR gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with OGFR gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with OGFR 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 OGFR 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 OGFR gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of OGFR 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 OGFR from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset.
	GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of OGFR gene relative to other cell lines from the GDSC Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations	biological terms co-occuring with OGFR gene in literature-supported statements describing functions of genes from the GeneRIF Biological Term Annotations dataset.
	GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing OGFR from the GeneSigDB Published Gene Signatures dataset.
	GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Diseases	disease perturbations changing expression of OGFR gene from the GEO Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Diseases dataset.