# CUL3

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/cul3/  
OnCo record `cul3` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

CUL3 (Cullin-3) is a gene whose normal job is to hold cell growth in check. The public catalogues list it as a drug target, an oncogene driver, a tumour suppressor and a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Renal cell carcinoma, Non-small-cell lung cancer and Papillary renal cell carcinoma.

## Summary

Core component of multiple cullin-RING-based BCR (BTB-CUL3-RBX1) E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase complexes which mediate the ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of target proteins. BCR complexes and ARIH1 collaborate in tandem to mediate ubiquitination of target proteins. As a scaffold protein may contribute to catalysis through positioning of the substrate and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant, naming Platinum Doublet. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.55 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.95, animal model 0.56, genetic association 0.03, somatic mutation 0.71). IntOGen calls it a driver in 4 cohorts (1 activating, 3 loss-of-function), covering Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma, Renal Cell Carcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: cullin 3; Cullin-3
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: CUL3
- Class: tumor-suppressor
- Biology: Core component of multiple cullin-RING-based BCR (BTB-CUL3-RBX1) E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase complexes which mediate the ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of target proteins. BCR complexes and ARIH1 collaborate in tandem to mediate ubiquitination of target proteins. As a scaffold protein may contribute to catalysis through positioning of the substrate and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. The E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase activity of the complex is dependent on the neddylation of the cullin subunit and is inhibited by the association of the deneddylated cullin subunit with TIP120A/CAND1. The functional specificity of the BCR complex depends on the BTB domain-containing protein as the substrate recognition component. BCR(KLHL42) is involved in ubiquitination of KATNA1. Location: Nucleus; Golgi apparatus; Cell projection, cilium, flagellum; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, spindle (UniProt). Locus 2q36.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Renal cell carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 2 cohorts (PRCC, RCC); Non-small-cell lung cancer: CIViC evidence names this disease; IntOGen driver in 2 cohorts (LUSC); Papillary renal cell carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (PRCC)

## 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: CIViC lists 1 therapies; IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 3 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:2553: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:2553
- UniProt Q13618: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q13618/entry
- NCBI Gene 8452: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/8452
- Ensembl ENSG00000036257: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000036257

## 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: [Non-small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/nsclc/), [Papillary renal cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/papillary-rcc/), [Renal cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/rcc/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/cul3.json