USP7 (Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 7)

A deubiquitinating enzyme regulating p53, MDM2, and other key cellular pathways; implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer.

Gene Information Card

Symbol USP7
Full Name Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 7
Gene Type Protein coding
Chromosomal Location 16p13.2
NCBI Gene ID 7874 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/7874
Ensembl ID ENSG00000138685
UniProt ID Q93009
OMIM ID 602519
HGNC ID 12630
Aliases HAUSP, TEF1, CGI-11

Description

USP7 (Ubiquitin Specific Peptidase 7), also known as HAUSP (Herpesvirus-Associated Ubiquitin-Specific Protease), is a deubiquitinating enzyme that removes ubiquitin from target proteins, thereby regulating their stability and function. It plays a critical role in the p53/MDM2 pathway, DNA damage response, epigenetic regulation, and immune signaling. Mutations in USP7 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and various cancers.

Disease Associations

Disease category Pathophysiological mechanism Genomic evidence
Neurodevelopmental disorder with hypotonia, behavioral abnormalities, and seizures (NEDHBS) Loss-of-function mutations in USP7 impair deubiquitination of substrates such as p53 and MDM2, disrupting neuronal development and synaptic function. ClinVar, OMIM #616901
Prostate cancer USP7 overexpression stabilizes MDM2, promoting p53 degradation and tumor progression. COSMIC, PMID: 26921392
Multiple myeloma USP7 deubiquitinates and stabilizes the oncoprotein MYC, enhancing proliferation. COSMIC, PMID: 27565344
Colorectal cancer USP7 overexpression correlates with poor prognosis; regulates β-catenin and p53 pathways. COSMIC, PMID: 25329317

Expression Profile

Tissue Expression
Tissue nTPM level
Brain (cerebral cortex) 18.5 Medium
Testis 15.2 Medium
Lung 12.8 Medium
Liver 10.1 Low
Heart 8.3 Low
Cell Line Expression
Cell Line nTPM Notes
HEK 293 (embryonic kidney) 22.4 High expression
HeLa (cervical carcinoma) 19.7 High expression
K562 (leukemia) 14.1 Medium expression
HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma) 11.3 Low expression
Data source:Human Protein Atlas(proteinatlas.org)

Mutations & Variants

Hotspot Mutations
Variant Type Frequency Functional Description
c.208C>T (p.Arg70*) Nonsense <0.01% Loss of function; associated with NEDHBS
c.512G>A (p.Arg171Gln) Missense <0.01% Loss of function; reduced deubiquitinase activity
c.2155C>T (p.Arg719Trp) Missense <0.01% Loss of function; impaired substrate binding
c.2633A>G (p.Tyr878Cys) Missense <0.01% Loss of function; altered protein stability
Mutation functional classification

Loss of Function (LOF)

Most pathogenic mutations in USP7 are loss-of-function, leading to reduced deubiquitinase activity and dysregulation of substrates like p53, MDM2, and FOXO4. These are primarily associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Gain of Function (GOF)

Gain-of-function mutations are rare but may involve overexpression or increased catalytic activity, observed in some cancers where USP7 stabilizes oncoproteins.

Dominant Negative (DN)

Dominant-negative effects have been proposed for certain missense mutations that retain partial activity but disrupt normal USP7 complex formation, though evidence is limited.

Gene Ontology (GO)

• cysteine-type deubiquitinase activity • protein deubiquitination
• ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process • regulation of protein stability
• DNA damage response • chromatin remodeling
• negative regulation of apoptotic process • viral process

Pathways

p53 pathway (Reactome: R-HSA-3700989)
MDM2-mediated degradation of p53 (Reactome: R-HSA-6804756)
Deubiquitination (Reactome: R-HSA-5688426)
Regulation of FOXO transcription factors (Reactome: R-HSA-9614085)

Protein Summary

USP7 is a 1102-amino acid deubiquitinating enzyme containing a TRAF-like domain, a catalytic USP domain, and multiple ubiquitin-like domains. It removes ubiquitin from specific substrates, including p53, MDM2, FOXO4, and PTEN, thereby regulating their stability and cellular localization. USP7 is essential for embryonic development, DNA repair, and immune responses. Its dysregulation contributes to cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Related Products

Product name Cat.No. Species Gene ID
DUSP7 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line EDJ-KQ50246 Human 1849 Details Get a Quote
DUSP7 Knockout HeLa Cell Line EDJ-KQ53129 Human 1849 Details Get a Quote
DUSP7 Knockout A-549 Cell Line EDJ-KQ61603 Human 1849 Details Get a Quote
DUSP7 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line EDJ-KQ70091 Human 1849 Details Get a Quote
USP7 Knockout HAP1 Cell Line EDC08040 Human 7874 Details Get a Quote
Displaying Records 1 To 5 Of 5 Records
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