# CTNNA1

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/ctnna1/  
OnCo record `ctnna1` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

CTNNA1 (Catenin alpha-1) is a gene whose normal job is to hold cell growth in check. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver and a tumour suppressor, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer, Colorectal cancer and Cervical cancer.

## Summary

Associates with the cytoplasmic domain of a variety of cadherins. The association of catenins to cadherins produces a complex which is linked to the actin filament network, and which seems to be of primary importance for cadherins cell-adhesion properties. Can associate with both E- and N-cadherins.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.68 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes genetic literature 0.01, literature 0.92, genetic association 0.83, somatic mutation 0.43, animal model 0.60). IntOGen calls it a driver in 2 cohorts (1 activating, 1 loss-of-function), covering Cervical Adenocarcinoma, Colorectal Adenocarcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: catenin alpha 1; Catenin alpha-1; CAP102
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: CTNNA1
- Class: tumor-suppressor
- Biology: Associates with the cytoplasmic domain of a variety of cadherins. The association of catenins to cadherins produces a complex which is linked to the actin filament network, and which seems to be of primary importance for cadherins cell-adhesion properties. Can associate with both E- and N-cadherins. Originally believed to be a stable component of E-cadherin/catenin adhesion complexes and to mediate the linkage of cadherins to the actin cytoskeleton at adherens junctions. In contrast, cortical actin was found to be much more dynamic than E-cadherin/catenin complexes and CTNNA1 was shown not to bind to F-actin when assembled in the complex suggesting a different linkage between actin and adherens junctions components. The homodimeric form may regulate actin filament assembly and inhibit actin branching by competing with the Arp2/3 complex for binding to actin filaments. Location: Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton; Cell junction, adherens junction; Cell membrane; Cell junction (UniProt). Locus 5q31.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer: Open Targets association 0.63 with gastric cancer (MONDO_0001056); Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.59 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575); IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (COADREAD); Cervical cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (CEAD)

## 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 1 cohort; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 1 cohort. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:2509: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:2509
- UniProt P35221: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P35221/entry
- NCBI Gene 1495: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/1495
- Ensembl ENSG00000044115: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000044115

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Cervical cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/cervical/), [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Gastric & gastro-oesophageal junction cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/gastric/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/ctnna1.json