# BIRC6

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/birc6/  
OnCo record `birc6` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

BIRC6 (Dual E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme/E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase BIRC6) is an enzyme. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, a tumour suppressor and a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Bladder & urothelial cancer, Breast cancer, Renal cell carcinoma and 5 more.

## Summary

Anti-apoptotic protein known as inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) which can regulate cell death by controlling caspases and by acting as an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. Unlike most IAPs, does not contain a RING domain and it is not a RING-type E3 ligase. Instead acts as a dual E2/E3 enzyme that combines ubiquitin conjugating (E2) and ubiquitin ligase (E3) activities in a single polypeptide.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.63 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.98, affected pathway 0.83, genetic association 0.19, somatic mutation 0.55). IntOGen calls it a driver in 21 cohorts (6 activating, 14 loss-of-function), covering Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma, Invasive Breast Carcinoma, Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma, Cholangiocarcinoma, Colorectal Adenocarcinoma and others.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: baculoviral IAP repeat containing 6; Dual E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme/E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase BIRC6; BRUCE
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: BIRC6
- Class: enzyme
- Biology: Anti-apoptotic protein known as inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) which can regulate cell death by controlling caspases and by acting as an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. Unlike most IAPs, does not contain a RING domain and it is not a RING-type E3 ligase. Instead acts as a dual E2/E3 enzyme that combines ubiquitin conjugating (E2) and ubiquitin ligase (E3) activities in a single polypeptide. Ubiquitination is mediated by a non-canonical E1 ubiquitin activating enzyme UBA6. Ubiquitinates CASP3, CASP7 and CASP9 and inhibits their caspase activity; also ubiquitinates their procaspases but to a weaker extent. Ubiquitinates pro-apoptotic factors DIABLO/SMAC and HTRA2. Location: Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network membrane; Endosome; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindle pole; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosome (UniProt). Locus 2p22.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Bladder & urothelial cancer: IntOGen driver in 3 cohorts (BLCA); Breast cancer: IntOGen driver in 2 cohorts (BRCA); Renal cell carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 2 cohorts (CCRCC); Endometrial cancer: IntOGen driver in 2 cohorts (UCEC); Anal cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (ANSC); Colorectal cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (COADREAD)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 6 cohorts; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 14 cohorts; CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence items on its variants. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:13516: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:13516
- UniProt Q9NR09: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9NR09/entry
- NCBI Gene 57448: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/57448
- Ensembl ENSG00000115760: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000115760

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/), [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Anal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma)](https://onco.cc/cancers/anal/), [Bladder & urothelial cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/urothelial/), [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Endometrial cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/endometrial/), [Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/head-and-neck/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc/), [Renal cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/rcc/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/birc6.json