# GNAQ

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

## TL;DR

GNAQ (Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(q) subunit alpha) is an enzyme. 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 Skin cancer, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Breast cancer and 3 more.

## Summary

Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) function as transducers downstream of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in numerous signalling cascades. The alpha chain contains the guanine nucleotide binding site and alternates between an active, GTP-bound state and an inactive, GDP-bound state. Signalling by an activated GPCR promotes GDP release and GTP binding.

CIViC holds 9 clinical evidence items and 0 assertions across 4 variants, naming Vemurafenib, Trametinib, Mirdametinib and PLX4720 and others. Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.76 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes affected pathway 0.87, literature 0.87, genetic association 0.03, somatic mutation 0.95, animal model 0.59). IntOGen calls it a driver in 4 cohorts (2 activating, 1 loss-of-function), covering Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Cutaneous Melanoma, Uveal Melanoma. In OnCo, 1 product record names it (Darovasertib).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: G protein subunit alpha q; Guanine nucleotide-binding protein G(q) subunit alpha; G-ALPHA-q
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: GNAQ
- Class: enzyme
- Biology: Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) function as transducers downstream of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in numerous signalling cascades. The alpha chain contains the guanine nucleotide binding site and alternates between an active, GTP-bound state and an inactive, GDP-bound state. Signalling by an activated GPCR promotes GDP release and GTP binding. The alpha subunit has a low GTPase activity that converts bound GTP to GDP, thereby terminating the signal. Both GDP release and GTP hydrolysis are modulated by numerous regulatory proteins. Signalling is mediated via phospholipase C-beta-dependent inositol lipid hydrolysis for signal propagation: activates phospholipase C-beta: following GPCR activation, GNAQ activates PLC-beta (PLCB1, PLCB2, PLCB3 or PLCB4), leading to production of diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Location: Cell membrane; Golgi apparatus; Nucleus; Nucleus membrane (UniProt). Locus 9q21.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.62 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Hepatocellular carcinoma: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (HCC); Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.52 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.72 with melanoma (MONDO_0005105); CIViC evidence names this disease; Uveal melanoma: Open Targets association 0.64 with ocular melanoma (MONDO_0006325); CIViC evidence names this disease; Non-small-cell lung cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (NSCLC)

## 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 9 therapies; IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 2 cohorts; IntOGen calls it a loss-of-function (LoF) driver in 1 cohort; CIViC holds 9 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.
- Diseases the sources name that have no OnCo cancer page yet, so they are not linked: Congenital Hemangioma.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:4390: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:4390
- UniProt P50148: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P50148/entry
- NCBI Gene 2776: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2776
- Ensembl ENSG00000156052: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000156052

## 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: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Non-small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/nsclc/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/), [Uveal melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/uveal-melanoma/)
- drugs: [Darovasertib](https://onco.cc/drugs/darovasertib/)
- trials: [A Phase I/II Study of DYP688 in Patients With Metastatic Uveal Melanoma and Other GNAQ/11 Mutant Melanomas](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05415072/), [Study of IDE196 in Patients With Solid Tumors Harboring GNAQ/11 Mutations or PRKC Fusions](https://onco.cc/trials/nct03947385/)

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