CUL4B

CUL4B is a gene that provides instructions for making a protein that is part of a multi-protein complex known as an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. This complex is involved in the process of ubiquitination, which is a method that cells use to control the degradation of proteins.

Function

The CUL4B protein is part of the cullin-RING ligase (CRL) complex, which is responsible for the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of target proteins. This process is crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis and regulating various cellular processes, including DNA repair, cell cycle progression, and transcriptional regulation.

Clinical significance

Mutations in the CUL4B gene have been associated with a form of X-linked intellectual disability (XLID). This condition is characterized by significantly below-average scores on measures of intelligence and social and practical skills. Males with CUL4B-related XLID often have distinctive facial features, short stature, hypogonadism, and a variety of other physical abnormalities.

Genetics

The CUL4B gene is located on the X chromosome, which is one of the two sex chromosomes. In males (who have only one X chromosome), one altered copy of the gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the condition. In females (who have two X chromosomes), a mutation would have to occur in both copies of the gene to cause the disorder. However, because it is unlikely that females will have two altered copies of this gene, males are affected by X-linked recessive disorders much more frequently than females.

See also

• Cullin
• Ubiquitin-protein ligase
• X-linked intellectual disability