ALKBH8
protein-codingalkB homolog 8, tRNA methyltransferase, the group of 7BS DNA/RNA methyltransferases|RNA binding motif containing|Alkylation repair homologs
Gene summary
Enables tRNA (uridine) methyltransferase activity; tRNA binding activity; and zinc ion binding activity. Involved in DNA damage response; tRNA methylation; and tRNA wobble uridine modification. Located in cytosol and nucleoplasm. Implicated in autosomal recessive intellectual developmental disorder 71. [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jul 2025]
MANE transcript
Inheritance
ClinVar variants
Top phenotype
gnomAD constraint
Max pathogenic AF
Genomic locus
External References & Databases
Transcript & Mutation Effects
hg38 • Region Span ~63.0 kbGenCC Phenotypes & Disease Associations
Curated gene-disease validity assertions and inheritance patterns
Inheritance Pattern: AR
Disease ID:MONDO:0032789
Submitter: PanelApp Australia
Inheritance Pattern: AR
Disease ID:MONDO:0032789
Submitter: G2P
Inheritance Pattern: AR
Disease ID:MONDO:0032789
Submitter: Ambry Genetics
Inheritance Pattern: AR
Disease ID:MONDO:0019502
Submitter: Orphanet
Inheritance Pattern: AR
Disease ID:MONDO:0032789
Submitter: Labcorp Genetics (formerly Invitae)
Clinical Genomic Database (CGD)
Manifestation: Craniofacial; Genitourinary; Musculoskeletal; Neurologic
Intervention: General
Rationale: Genetic knowledge may be beneficial related to issues such as selection of optimal supportive care, informed medical decision-making, prognostic considerations, and avoidance of unnecessary testing
ClinVar Associated Diseases & Phenotypes
Reported disease conditions connected to ALKBH8 variants in ClinVar
ClinVar Variants & Pathogenicity by Type
Statistics based on transcript NM_138775.3. Only rare variants are included.
We include only reliable ClinVar variants with their consequences to MANE Select, MANE Plus Clinical transcripts, or transcripts with TSL equal to 1. Click a count to filter the variants table below.
Slight differences between displayed counts and ClinVar may occur due to a different transcript/consequence chosen by our variant effect predictor, or because we classify Benign/Likely benign as Likely benign and Pathogenic/Likely pathogenic as Likely pathogenic.
| Effect | PathogenicP | Likely pathogenicLP | VUS | Likely benignLB | BenignB | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| synonymous | 1 | 24 | 1 | 26 | ||
| missense | 113 | 21 | 3 | 137 | ||
| nonsense | 5 | 2 | 7 | |||
| start loss | 0 | |||||
| frameshift | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| splice donor/acceptor (+/-2bp) | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Total | 2 | 8 | 119 | 45 | 4 | 178 |
Highest pathogenic variant AF is 0.000011492767
Transcript Catalog
Annotated transcript isoforms across RefSeq and Ensembl databases
| Transcript ID | Source | Protein ID | Coding Exons | MANE Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RefSeq | NP_620130.2 | 11 | MANE Select | |
| Ensembl | ENSP00000415885.2 | 11 | MANE Select | |
| RefSeq | NP_001287939.2 | 11 | Standard | |
| RefSeq | NP_001365062.1 | 10 | Standard |
Gene Ontology (GO) Annotations & Pathways
Biological processes, molecular functions, cellular components and pathways
Pathways ConsensusPathDB
- tRNA modification in the nucleus and cytosol
- tRNA processing
- Metabolism of RNA
Biological Process
- tRNA wobble uridine modification
- cellular response to DNA damage stimulus
- tRNA methylation
- oxidation-reduction process
Molecular Function
- tRNA binding
- iron ion binding
- protein binding
- zinc ion binding
- tRNA (uracil) methyltransferase activity
Cellular Component
- nucleus
- nucleoplasm
- cytoplasm
- cytosol
- nuclear body
gnomAD Constraint
Source:
- Gene type
- protein_coding
- Transcript type
- protein_coding
- Transcript
- ENST00000428149
- Coding exons
- 11
- Length
- 63021
- Individuals with no LoFs
- 125713
- Homozygous LoFs
- 0
- Heterozygous LoFs
- 13
- Defined
- 125726
- p
- 0.0000517
| Z-Score | Observed | Expected | Observed/Expected | Mutation Rate | Total Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missense | 0.854 | 290 | 334 | 0.869 | 0.0000169 | 4363 |
| Missense (PolyPhen) | 109 | 131.53 | 0.8287 | 1740 | ||
| Synonymous | 0.708 | 107 | 117 | 0.917 | 0.00000593 | 1226 |
| Loss of Function | 2.90 | 11 | 27.3 | 0.402 | 0.00000129 | 397 |
Population LoF Frequency
| Population | CAF | p-value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| African | 0.00018 | 0.00018 | rare |
| Latino/Admixed American | 0.00012 | 0.00012 | rare |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 0.000099 | 0.000099 | rare |
| East Asian | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| Finnish | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| European (Non-Finnish) | 0.000018 | 0.000018 | rare |
| South Asian | 0.000099 | 0.000098 | rare |
| Other | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
dbNSFP Gene Annotations
Source:
- Function
- FUNCTION: Catalyzes the methylation of 5-carboxymethyl uridine to 5-methylcarboxymethyl uridine at the wobble position of the anticodon loop in tRNA via its methyltransferase domain (PubMed:20123966, PubMed:20308323). Catalyzes the last step in the formation of 5-methylcarboxymethyl uridine at the wobble position of the anticodon loop in target tRNA (PubMed:20123966, PubMed:20308323). Has a preference for tRNA(Arg) and tRNA(Glu), and does not bind tRNA(Lys)(PubMed:20308323). Binds tRNA and catalyzes the iron and alpha-ketoglutarate dependent hydroxylation of 5-methylcarboxymethyl uridine at the wobble position of the anticodon loop in tRNA via its dioxygenase domain, giving rise to 5-(S)-methoxycarbonylhydroxymethyluridine; has a preference for tRNA(Gly) (PubMed:21285950). Required for normal survival after DNA damage (PubMed:20308323). May inhibit apoptosis and promote cell survival and angiogenesis (PubMed:19293182). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:19293182, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20123966, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20308323, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21285950}.;
Intolerance Scores
- LoFtool
- 0.873
- RVIS EVS
- 1.24
- RVIS percentile EVS
- 93.42
Essentials
- Essential (CRISPR)
- N
- Essential (CRISPR2)
- S
- Essential (gene trap)
- H
- Indispensability pred.
- N
- Indispensability score
- 0.146
Gene Damage Prediction
| All | Recessive | Dominant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendelian | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Primary Immunodeficiency | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Cancer | Medium | Medium | Medium |