CGAS
protein-codingcyclic GMP-AMP synthase
Gene summary
Enables several functions, including 2',3'-cyclic GMP-AMP synthase activity; molecular condensate scaffold activity; and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate binding activity. Involved in several processes, including negative regulation of double-strand break repair via homologous recombination; paracrine signaling; and regulation of defense response. Located in nuclear body; plasma membrane; and site of double-strand break. Is active in cytosol and nucleus. [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Jun 2026]
- C6orf150
- MB21D1
MANE transcript
Inheritance
ClinVar variants
Top phenotype
gnomAD constraint
Max pathogenic AF
Genomic locus
External References & Databases
Transcript & Mutation Effects
hg38 • Region Span ~38.8 kbGenCC Phenotypes & Disease Associations
Curated gene-disease validity assertions and inheritance patterns
No GenCC data available for this gene.
ClinVar Associated Diseases & Phenotypes
Reported disease conditions connected to CGAS variants in ClinVar
ClinVar Variants & Pathogenicity by Type
Statistics based on transcript NM_138441.3. 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 | 0 | |||||
| missense | 85 | 4 | 89 | |||
| nonsense | 1 | 1 | ||||
| start loss | 0 | |||||
| frameshift | 1 | 1 | ||||
| splice donor/acceptor (+/-2bp) | 0 | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 87 | 4 | 0 | 91 |
Transcript Catalog
Annotated transcript isoforms across RefSeq and Ensembl databases
| Transcript ID | Source | Protein ID | Coding Exons | MANE Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RefSeq | NP_612450.2 | 5 | MANE Select | |
| Ensembl | ENSP00000359339.3 | 5 | MANE Select | |
| RefSeq | NP_001397840.1 | 6 | Standard | |
| Ensembl | ENSP00000359342.1 | 6 | Standard |
Model Organisms & Knockout Phenotypes
Observed phenotypic effects in mouse and zebrafish models
| Gene / Model | Organism | Observed Phenotype |
|---|---|---|
| cgas | Danio rerio | Structure: whole organism Quality: decreased pigmentation abnormal |
Gene Ontology (GO) Annotations & Pathways
Biological processes, molecular functions, cellular components and pathways
Pathways ConsensusPathDB
- Cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway - Homo sapiens (human)
- STING mediated induction of host immune responses
- Innate Immune System
- Immune System
- Cytosolic sensors of pathogen-associated DNA
Biological Process
- activation of innate immune response
- positive regulation of defense response to virus by host
- regulation of immunoglobulin production
- cellular response to DNA damage stimulus
- determination of adult lifespan
Molecular Function
- DNA binding
- chromatin binding
- double-stranded DNA binding
- protein binding
- ATP binding
Cellular Component
- cytosol
gnomAD Constraint
Source:
- Gene type
- protein_coding
- Transcript type
- protein_coding
- Transcript
- ENST00000370315
- Coding exons
- 5
- Length
- 38762
- Individuals with no LoFs
- 125702
- Homozygous LoFs
- 0
- Heterozygous LoFs
- 44
- Defined
- 125746
- p
- 0.000175
| Z-Score | Observed | Expected | Observed/Expected | Mutation Rate | Total Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missense | 0.880 | 226 | 266 | 0.848 | 0.0000128 | 3371 |
| Missense (PolyPhen) | 50 | 67.088 | 0.74529 | 933 | ||
| Synonymous | -0.863 | 119 | 108 | 1.11 | 0.00000526 | 1011 |
| Loss of Function | 0.657 | 14 | 16.9 | 0.828 | 8.11e-7 | 235 |
Population LoF Frequency
| Population | CAF | p-value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| African | 0.00018 | 0.00018 | rare |
| Latino/Admixed American | 0.00029 | 0.00029 | rare |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| East Asian | 0.000055 | 0.000054 | rare |
| Finnish | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
| European (Non-Finnish) | 0.00018 | 0.00018 | rare |
| South Asian | 0.00034 | 0.00033 | rare |
| Other | 0 | 0.0 | absent |
dbNSFP Gene Annotations
Source:
- Function
- FUNCTION: Nucleotidyltransferase that catalyzes the formation of cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) from ATP and GTP (PubMed:23258413, PubMed:23707061, PubMed:23722159, PubMed:24077100, PubMed:25131990). Catalysis involves both the formation of a 2',5' phosphodiester linkage at the GpA step and the formation of a 3',5' phosphodiester linkage at the ApG step, producing c[G(2',5')pA(3',5')p] (PubMed:28363908, PubMed:28214358). Acts as a key cytosolic DNA sensor, the presence of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the cytoplasm being a danger signal that triggers the immune responses (PubMed:28363908). Binds cytosolic DNA directly, leading to activation and synthesis of cGAMP, a second messenger that binds to and activates TMEM173/STING, thereby triggering type-I interferon production (PubMed:28363908, PubMed:28314590). Has antiviral activity by sensing the presence of dsDNA from DNA viruses in the cytoplasm (PubMed:28363908). Also acts as an innate immune sensor of infection by retroviruses, such as HIV-1, by detecting the presence of reverse-transcribed DNA in the cytosol (PubMed:23929945). Detection of retroviral reverse-transcribed DNA in the cytosol may be indirect and be mediated via interaction with PQBP1, which directly binds reverse-transcribed retroviral DNA (PubMed:26046437). Also detects the presence of DNA from bacteria, such as M.tuberculosis (PubMed:26048138). cGAMP can be transferred from producing cells to neighboring cells through gap junctions, leading to promote TMEM173/STING activation and convey immune response to connecting cells (PubMed:24077100). cGAMP can also be transferred between cells by virtue of packaging within viral particles contributing to IFN-induction in newly infected cells in a cGAS-independent but TMEM173/STING-dependent manner (PubMed:26229115). In addition to antiviral activity, also involved in the response to cellular stresses, such as senescence, DNA damage or genome instability (PubMed:28738408, PubMed:28759889). Acts as a regulator of cellular senescence by binding to cytosolic chromatin fragments that are present in senescent cells, leading to trigger type-I interferon production via TMEM173/STING and promote cellular senescence (By similarity). Also involved in the inflammatory response to genome instability and double-stranded DNA breaks: acts by localizing to micronuclei arising from genome instability (PubMed:28738408, PubMed:28759889). Micronuclei, which as frequently found in cancer cells, consist of chromatin surrounded by its own nuclear membrane: following breakdown of the micronuclear envelope, a process associated with chromothripsis, CGAS binds self-DNA exposed to the cytosol, leading to cGAMP synthesis and subsequent activation of TMEM173/STING and type-I interferon production (PubMed:28738408, PubMed:28759889). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:Q8C6L5, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21478870, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23258413, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23707061, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23707065, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23722159, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23929945, ECO:0000269|PubMed:24077100, ECO:0000269|PubMed:24116191, ECO:0000269|PubMed:24462292, ECO:0000269|PubMed:25131990, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26046437, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26048138, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26229115, ECO:0000269|PubMed:26300263, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28214358, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28314590, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28363908, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28738408, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28759889}.;
Intolerance Scores
- RVIS EVS
- 0.24
- RVIS percentile EVS
- 69.37
Essentials
- Essential (gene trap)
- N