OPCML: Opioid Binding Protein/Cell Adhesion Molecule-Like Gene
A tumor suppressor gene encoding a GPI-anchored cell adhesion molecule involved in neural development and cancer
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | OPCML |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Opioid Binding Protein/Cell Adhesion Molecule-Like |
| Gene Type | Protein coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 11q25 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 4978 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4978 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000148848 |
| UniProt ID | Q14982 |
| OMIM ID | 600632 |
| HGNC ID | 8143 |
| Aliases | OPCML1, OBCAM, OPCML2, OPCML3 |
Description
OPCML (Opioid Binding Protein/Cell Adhesion Molecule-Like) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 11q25. It encodes a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell adhesion molecule of the IgLON family, primarily expressed in the nervous system. OPCML functions as a tumor suppressor in various cancers, including ovarian, breast, and lung cancer, through modulation of cell adhesion, migration, and signaling pathways. Loss of OPCML expression due to promoter hypermethylation or deletion is frequently observed in tumors.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Ovarian cancer | Loss of OPCML expression via promoter hypermethylation leads to increased cell proliferation and invasion | PMID: 12629218, COSMIC |
| Breast cancer | OPCML downregulation correlates with poor prognosis; re-expression suppresses tumor growth | PMID: 23382210 |
| Lung cancer | OPCML methylation silences gene expression, promoting metastasis | PMID: 20629138 |
| Colorectal cancer | OPCML hypermethylation associated with advanced stage and lymph node metastasis | PMID: 22198284 |
| Glioma | OPCML acts as a tumor suppressor; reduced expression linked to higher grade | PMID: 25652388 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.5 | Medium |
| Cerebellum | 15.2 | Medium |
| Spinal cord | 8.3 | Low |
| Heart | 1.2 | Not detected |
| Liver | 0.5 | Not detected |
| Lung | 2.1 | Low |
| Ovary | 3.4 | Low |
| Breast | 1.8 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma) | 18.7 | Neuronal lineage, high expression |
| U-87 MG (glioblastoma) | 9.2 | Reduced compared to normal brain |
| MCF7 (breast cancer) | 0.8 | Low expression due to methylation |
| A549 (lung cancer) | 1.1 | Low expression |
| OVCAR-3 (ovarian cancer) | 0.3 | Silenced by hypermethylation |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1A>G (p.Met1?) | Missense | <0.1% | Loss of start codon, likely loss of function |
| c.325C>T (p.Arg109*) | Nonsense | <0.1% | Premature stop, loss of function |
| c.487G>A (p.Gly163Arg) | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown significance |
| Promoter hypermethylation | Epigenetic | Frequent in tumors | Silences gene expression |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Promoter hypermethylation and nonsense mutations (e.g., p.Arg109*) lead to loss of OPCML expression and tumor suppressor activity.
Gain of Function (GOF)
No gain-of-function mutations reported in OPCML.
Dominant Negative (DN)
No dominant-negative mutations described for OPCML.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • cell adhesion (GO:0007155) | • plasma membrane (GO:0005886) |
| • anchored component of membrane (GO:0031225) | • opioid receptor activity (GO:0004984) |
| • signal transduction (GO:0007165) | • positive regulation of cell population proliferation (GO:0008284) |
Pathways
• Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) - KEGG hsa04514
• Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction - KEGG hsa04080
Protein Summary
OPCML encodes a GPI-anchored cell adhesion molecule of the IgLON family. The protein contains three immunoglobulin-like domains and is localized to the plasma membrane. It mediates homophilic and heterophilic cell-cell adhesion, modulates opioid receptor signaling, and acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cell proliferation and migration. Loss of OPCML expression through epigenetic silencing is a common event in multiple cancers.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPCML Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ3542 | Human | 4978 | Details Get a Quote |
| OPCML Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ54045 | Human | 4978 | Details Get a Quote |
| OPCML Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ62533 | Human | 4978 | Details Get a Quote |
| OPCML Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ71005 | Human | 4978 | Details Get a Quote |
