# MERTK

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

## TL;DR

MERTK (Tyrosine-protein kinase Mer) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as a drug target and a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Melanoma.

## Summary

Receptor tyrosine kinase that transduces signals from the extracellular matrix into the cytoplasm by binding to several ligands including LGALS3, TUB, TULP1 or GAS6. Regulates many physiological processes including cell survival, migration, differentiation, and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis). Ligand binding at the cell surface induces autophosphorylation of MERTK on its intracellular domain that provides docking sites for downstream signalling molecules.

CIViC holds 1 clinical evidence item and 0 assertions across 1 variant, naming UNC1062.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: MER proto-oncogene, tyrosine kinase; Tyrosine-protein kinase Mer; mer; RP38; c-Eyk; Tyro12
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: MERTK
- Class: kinase
- Biology: Receptor tyrosine kinase that transduces signals from the extracellular matrix into the cytoplasm by binding to several ligands including LGALS3, TUB, TULP1 or GAS6. Regulates many physiological processes including cell survival, migration, differentiation, and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis). Ligand binding at the cell surface induces autophosphorylation of MERTK on its intracellular domain that provides docking sites for downstream signalling molecules. Following activation by ligand, interacts with GRB2 or PLCG2 and induces phosphorylation of MAPK1, MAPK2, FAK/PTK2 or RAC1. MERTK signalling plays a role in various processes such as macrophage clearance of apoptotic cells, platelet aggregation, cytoskeleton reorganisation and engulfment. Functions in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) as a regulator of rod outer segments fragments phagocytosis. Location: Cell membrane (UniProt). Locus 2q13 (HGNC).
- Where found: Melanoma: CIViC evidence names this disease

## 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; 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:7027: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:7027
- UniProt Q12866: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q12866/entry
- NCBI Gene 10461: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/10461
- Ensembl ENSG00000153208: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000153208

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/)
- cancers: [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/)

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