# ELK4

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/elk4/  
OnCo record `elk4` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

ELK4 (ETS domain-containing protein Elk-4) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver, and it is called a cancer driver by mutation analysis of patient cohorts. Tied to Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and Skin cancer.

## Summary

Involved in both transcriptional activation and repression. Interaction with SIRT7 leads to recruitment and stabilisation of SIRT7 at promoters, followed by deacetylation of histone H3 at 'Lys-18' (H3K18Ac) and subsequent transcription repression. Forms a ternary complex with the serum response factor (SRF).

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.63 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.90, animal model 0.28, genetic association 0.00, somatic mutation 0.81). IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: ETS transcription factor ELK4; ETS domain-containing protein Elk-4; SAP1
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: ELK4
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Involved in both transcriptional activation and repression. Interaction with SIRT7 leads to recruitment and stabilisation of SIRT7 at promoters, followed by deacetylation of histone H3 at 'Lys-18' (H3K18Ac) and subsequent transcription repression. Forms a ternary complex with the serum response factor (SRF). Requires DNA-bound SRF for ternary complex formation and makes extensive DNA contacts to the 5'side of SRF, but does not bind DNA autonomously. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 1q32.1 (HGNC).
- Where found: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (HNSC); Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.51 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898)

## 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. Evidence tier "cohort-driver" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:3326: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:3326
- UniProt P28324: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P28324/entry
- NCBI Gene 2005: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2005
- Ensembl ENSG00000158711: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000158711

## Connected records

- collections: [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/), [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/head-and-neck/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/elk4.json