Details for: RTL8A

Gene ID: 26071

Gene Type:  Protein-coding  - A gene that serves as a template for producing a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which is then translated into a functional protein.

Symbol: RTL8A

Ensembl ID: ENSG00000203950

Description: retrotransposon Gag like 8A

Selected Context(s):  Overall

Cell Significance Landscape

Contexts:

Associated with

Significant Cells

Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores for the chosen context(s)

  • ciliated cell CL0000064
    CSI 17.89
    rCSI 28.99%
    PRS 70.85
  • retinal ganglion cell CL0000740
    CSI 9.84
    rCSI 21.74%
    PRS 60.95
  • lung secretory cell CL1000272
    CSI 9.05
    rCSI 22.4%
    PRS 74.85
  • microcirculation associated smooth muscle cell CL0008035
    CSI 8.69
    rCSI 25.15%
    PRS 75.66
  • fallopian tube secretory epithelial cell CL4030006
    CSI 6.87
    rCSI 6.61%
    PRS 74.81
  • pancreatic ductal cell CL0002079
    CSI 5.46
    rCSI 10.62%
    PRS 78.85
  • retina horizontal cell CL0000745
    CSI 5.19
    rCSI 7.9%
    PRS 72.19
  • skin fibroblast CL0002620
    CSI 4.98
    rCSI 4.29%
    PRS 77.58
  • myofibroblast cell CL0000186
    CSI 4.29
    rCSI 5.94%
    PRS 73.68
  • extravillous trophoblast CL0008036
    CSI 3.67
    rCSI 4.53%
    PRS 73.16
  • perivascular cell CL4033054
    CSI 3.51
    rCSI 4.8%
    PRS 80.37
  • unswitched memory B cell CL0000970
    CSI 3.5
    rCSI 2.94%
    PRS 89
  • pancreatic D cell CL0000173
    CSI 3.46
    rCSI 3.4%
    PRS 78.39
  • hematopoietic multipotent progenitor cell CL0000837
    CSI 3.45
    rCSI 8.31%
    PRS 89.47
  • plasmablast CL0000980
    CSI 3.32
    rCSI 2.61%
    PRS 81.53
  • duct epithelial cell CL0000068
    CSI 3.3
    rCSI 4.82%
    PRS 80.44
  • ciliated epithelial cell CL0000067
    CSI 3.23
    rCSI 2.84%
    PRS 64.05
  • interstitial cell of Cajal CL0002088
    CSI 3.21
    rCSI 4.09%
    PRS 80.97
  • interneuron CL0000099
    CSI 3.14
    rCSI 6.31%
    PRS 65.05
  • rod bipolar cell CL0000751
    CSI 3.04
    rCSI 5.47%
    PRS 68.68
  • alveolar adventitial fibroblast CL4028006
    CSI 2.92
    rCSI 4.62%
    PRS 77.33
  • alveolar type 1 fibroblast cell CL4028004
    CSI 2.92
    rCSI 3.2%
    PRS 78.05
  • double-positive, alpha-beta thymocyte CL0000809
    CSI 2.86
    rCSI 2.91%
    PRS 86.08
  • goblet cell CL0000160
    CSI 2.79
    rCSI 2.63%
    PRS 74.55
  • secretory cell CL0000151
    CSI 2.78
    rCSI 2.9%
    PRS 75.15
  • ON-bipolar cell CL0000749
    CSI 2.71
    rCSI 4.02%
    PRS 75.98
  • epithelial cell of lower respiratory tract CL0002632
    CSI 2.66
    rCSI 2.06%
    PRS 79.06
  • mucous neck cell CL0000651
    CSI 2.53
    rCSI 3.65%
    PRS 83.62
  • pancreatic A cell CL0000171
    CSI 2.53
    rCSI 2.65%
    PRS 78.8
  • bronchus fibroblast of lung CL2000093
    CSI 2.49
    rCSI 2.03%
    PRS 75.35
  • epithelial cell of lung CL0000082
    CSI 2.42
    rCSI 2.01%
    PRS 76.07
  • epithelial cell CL0000066
    CSI 2.39
    rCSI 3.68%
    PRS 66.22
  • stem cell CL0000034
    CSI 2.29
    rCSI 2.21%
    PRS 68.07
  • enteroendocrine cell CL0000164
    CSI 2.29
    rCSI 3.13%
    PRS 75.93
  • OFF-bipolar cell CL0000750
    CSI 2.27
    rCSI 3.1%
    PRS 78.83
  • lung pericyte CL0009089
    CSI 2.26
    rCSI 5.97%
    PRS 83.06
  • vascular associated smooth muscle cell CL0000359
    CSI 2.26
    rCSI 7.32%
    PRS 73.89
  • renal alpha-intercalated cell CL0005011
    CSI 2.2
    rCSI 2.94%
    PRS 82.54
  • retinal bipolar neuron CL0000748
    CSI 2.18
    rCSI 4.09%
    PRS 63.31
  • keratinocyte CL0000312
    CSI 2.17
    rCSI 1.82%
    PRS 78.78
  • acinar cell CL0000622
    CSI 2.16
    rCSI 3.17%
    PRS 85.57
  • neuroblast (sensu Vertebrata) CL0000031
    CSI 2.13
    rCSI 2.74%
    PRS 71.87
  • neural crest cell CL0011012
    CSI 2.12
    rCSI 1.68%
    PRS 63.34
  • pulmonary ionocyte CL0017000
    CSI 2.12
    rCSI 2.58%
    PRS 82.46
  • type EC enteroendocrine cell CL0000577
    CSI 2.1
    rCSI 7.46%
    PRS 80.94
  • lung ciliated cell CL1000271
    CSI 2.09
    rCSI 2.42%
    PRS 67.16
  • mucus secreting cell CL0000319
    CSI 2.08
    rCSI 3.3%
    PRS 84.81
  • cerebral cortex GABAergic interneuron CL0010011
    CSI 2.07
    rCSI 6.12%
    PRS 76.88
  • mesodermal cell CL0000222
    CSI 2.07
    rCSI 2.48%
    PRS 73.6
  • pancreatic stellate cell CL0002410
    CSI 2.05
    rCSI 11.95%
    PRS 80.9
  • retinal rod cell CL0000604
    CSI 2.04
    rCSI 3.6%
    PRS 71.4
  • erythrocyte CL0000232
    CSI 1.99
    rCSI 4.52%
    PRS 77.05
  • club cell CL0000158
    CSI 1.98
    rCSI 2.9%
    PRS 70.16
  • peripheral nervous system neuron CL2000032
    CSI 1.98
    rCSI 2.69%
    PRS 66.91
  • colon epithelial cell CL0011108
    CSI 1.98
    rCSI 2.07%
    PRS 72.74
  • respiratory suprabasal cell CL4033048
    CSI 1.96
    rCSI 2.51%
    PRS 79.31
  • intestine goblet cell CL0019031
    CSI 1.96
    rCSI 1.74%
    PRS 73.41
  • myoepithelial cell CL0000185
    CSI 1.94
    rCSI 4.92%
    PRS 81.24
  • neuroblast (sensu Nematoda and Protostomia) CL0000338
    CSI 1.9
    rCSI 2.2%
    PRS 67.6
  • lung neuroendocrine cell CL1000223
    CSI 1.9
    rCSI 2.81%
    PRS 80.29
  • dendritic cell, human CL0001056
    CSI 1.9
    rCSI 2.92%
    PRS 84.54
  • ionocyte CL0005006
    CSI 1.89
    rCSI 2.03%
    PRS 76.39
  • intermediate monocyte CL0002393
    CSI 1.88
    rCSI 2.83%
    PRS 81.01
  • respiratory hillock cell CL4030023
    CSI 1.87
    rCSI 3.33%
    PRS 85.26
  • multi-ciliated epithelial cell CL0005012
    CSI 1.86
    rCSI 1.85%
    PRS 69.15
  • mesenchymal cell CL0008019
    CSI 1.85
    rCSI 4.71%
    PRS 69.11
  • intestinal epithelial cell CL0002563
    CSI 1.84
    rCSI 1.93%
    PRS 73.33
  • radial glial cell CL0000681
    CSI 1.82
    rCSI 2.53%
    PRS 74.16
  • placental villous trophoblast CL2000060
    CSI 1.81
    rCSI 2.79%
    PRS 74.59
  • pancreatic acinar cell CL0002064
    CSI 1.8
    rCSI 2.39%
    PRS 81.51
  • megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor cell CL0000050
    CSI 1.77
    rCSI 1.6%
    PRS 73.37
  • retinal blood vessel endothelial cell CL0002585
    CSI 1.76
    rCSI 2.81%
    PRS 79.34
  • basal cell CL0000646
    CSI 1.69
    rCSI 2.27%
    PRS 74.49
  • M cell of gut CL0000682
    CSI 1.64
    rCSI 1.74%
    PRS 81.8
  • enteric smooth muscle cell CL0002504
    CSI 1.63
    rCSI 2.33%
    PRS 76.97
  • glioblast CL0000030
    CSI 1.57
    rCSI 2.51%
    PRS 67.12
  • paneth cell CL0000510
    CSI 1.55
    rCSI 2.28%
    PRS 87.23
  • pulmonary artery endothelial cell CL1001568
    CSI 1.52
    rCSI 2.06%
    PRS 85.05
  • tracheobronchial smooth muscle cell CL0019019
    CSI 1.51
    rCSI 2.67%
    PRS 81.81
  • retinal cone cell CL0000573
    CSI 1.39
    rCSI 2.24%
    PRS 65.22
  • kidney epithelial cell CL0002518
    CSI 1.39
    rCSI 2.65%
    PRS 90.23
  • type L enteroendocrine cell CL0002279
    CSI 1.35
    rCSI 2.53%
    PRS 84.73
  • lung macrophage CL1001603
    CSI 1.33
    rCSI 2.97%
    PRS 83.18
  • progenitor cell CL0011026
    CSI 1.28
    rCSI 2.72%
    PRS 70.5
  • intestinal tuft cell CL0019032
    CSI 1.24
    rCSI 1.9%
    PRS 79.66
  • neuroendocrine cell CL0000165
    CSI 1.24
    rCSI 4.79%
    PRS 85.85
  • respiratory epithelial cell CL0002368
    CSI 1.23
    rCSI 7.6%
    PRS 93.82
  • respiratory basal cell CL0002633
    CSI 1.23
    rCSI 1.27%
    PRS 80.28
  • type B pancreatic cell CL0000169
    CSI 1.08
    rCSI 2.38%
    PRS 74.6
  • stromal cell CL0000499
    CSI 1.06
    rCSI 2.98%
    PRS 70.83
  • pancreatic PP cell CL0002275
    CSI 1.05
    rCSI 4.19%
    PRS 84.35
  • forebrain radial glial cell CL0013000
    CSI 1.04
    rCSI 3.33%
    PRS 78.44
  • foveolar cell of stomach CL0002179
    CSI 0.95
    rCSI 2.02%
    PRS 82.99
  • neural progenitor cell CL0011020
    CSI 0.93
    rCSI 4.09%
    PRS 64.14
  • P/D1 enteroendocrine cell CL0002268
    CSI 0.84
    rCSI 4.57%
    PRS 85.22
  • pancreatic epsilon cell CL0005019
    CSI 0.79
    rCSI 3.68%
    PRS 86.26
  • podocyte CL0000653
    CSI 0.76
    rCSI 3.36%
    PRS 75.91
  • megakaryocyte CL0000556
    CSI 0.74
    rCSI 3.23%
    PRS 82.84
  • ciliated columnar cell of tracheobronchial tree CL0002145
    CSI 0.71
    rCSI 1.61%
    PRS 69.83
  • pluripotent stem cell CL0002248
    CSI 0.17
    rCSI 5.21%
    PRS 88.19

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this specific cell.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.
Network Configuration

Explore relationships of the current gene. Select an Interaction Source: 'ONTOLOGY' for shared pathways (GO/Reactome) or 'STRING' for protein-protein interactions. Further refine by selecting context genes and comparing Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores between baseline and target cell types and their specific contexts.

Comma-separated if multiple.
Comma-separated if multiple.
Legend:
  • Query Gene
  • Node Color (Target Cell CSI, relative to current network):
    • Very High
    • High
    • Medium
    • Low
    • Very Low
    • CSI N/A
  • Node Size: Proportional to Target Cell CSI magnitude
  • STRING PPI Edge
  • Shared Pathway Edge (ONTOLOGY)

Loading network (please wait)...

Other Information

This section provides additional information about the gene, including a description generated by an AI language model and details about associated proteins.

## Summary [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071), or Retrotransposon Gag Like 8A, is a protein-coding gene located on the X chromosome that originated from a neofunctionalized Ty3/gypsy retrotransposon ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1159/000084963)). The expression profile of [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) is characterized by highly significant and specific expression in a diverse set of cell types. It shows exceptional prominence in [ciliated cell](/details-cell/CL0000064)s, suggesting a key role in ciliary biology. Additionally, it is a significant marker in specialized neuronal populations, particularly [retinal ganglion cell](/details-cell/CL0000740)s, as well as various secretory and structural cells, indicating a multifaceted role in cellular architecture and function across different tissues. ## Cellular Roles and Expression Landscape The **Overall** expression landscape of [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) reveals a distinct pattern of cellular significance. The gene's most profound role is indicated in [ciliated cell](/details-cell/CL0000064), where it exhibits an exceptionally high Cell Significance Index (CSI) of 17.89. This suggests that [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) is a defining molecular feature of this cell type and may be critical for ciliary structure or function. Beyond its primary association with ciliated epithelium, [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) demonstrates significant expression in several other functional cell groups: * **Neural Tissue:** It is a key marker in specific neurons of the eye, including [retinal ganglion cell](/details-cell/CL0000740) (CSI: 9.84) and [retina horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0000745) (CSI: 5.19), pointing towards a specialized function in retinal neurobiology. * **Secretory and Epithelial Cells:** High significance is also observed in [lung secretory cell](/details-cell/CL1000272) (CSI: 9.05), [fallopian tube secretory epithelial cell](/details-cell/CL4030006) (CSI: 6.87), and [pancreatic ductal cell](/details-cell/CL0002079) (CSI: 5.46), suggesting a common role in epithelial tissues involved in secretion and transport. * **Mesenchymal and Structural Cells:** The gene is significantly expressed in cells contributing to tissue architecture and vasculature, such as [microcirculation associated smooth muscle cell](/details-cell/CL0008035) (CSI: 8.69), [skin fibroblast](/details-cell/CL0002620) (CSI: 4.98), and [myofibroblast cell](/details-cell/CL0000186) (CSI: 4.29). * **Immune and Hematopoietic System:** [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) also shows moderate significance in specific immune lineages, including [unswitched memory B cell](/details-cell/CL0000970) (CSI: 3.50), [plasmablast](/details-cell/CL0000980) (CSI: 3.32), and [hematopoietic multipotent progenitor cell](/details-cell/CL0000837) (CSI: 3.45), although at levels substantially lower than in epithelial or retinal cells. ## Pathways and Molecular Function The functional annotation for [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) is currently limited, with its primary known molecular function being protein binding ([GO:0005515](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0005515)). This general function is consistent with its evolutionary origin as a Gag-like protein derived from a retrotransposon, as Gag proteins typically mediate their functions through self-assembly and interactions with other host proteins ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1159/000084963)). The specific binding partners of the [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) protein and the downstream pathways it modulates within its key cell types, such as [ciliated cell](/details-cell/CL0000064)s and retinal neurons, remain to be elucidated. ## Research Directions The unique expression profile of [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) warrants further investigation to clarify its biological role. Based on the available data, several testable hypotheses can be proposed: 1. **Role in Ciliary Biology:** Given its exceptionally high significance in [ciliated cell](/details-cell/CL0000064)s, [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) may be a critical structural component of the ciliary axoneme or basal body, or alternatively, it could regulate processes such as ciliogenesis, intraflagellar transport, or ciliary motility. 2. **Function in Retinal Homeostasis:** The prominent expression in [retinal ganglion cell](/details-cell/CL0000740) and [retina horizontal cell](/details-cell/CL0000745) suggests a specialized function in the central nervous system. It may be involved in maintaining neuronal integrity, synaptic plasticity, or facilitating the transport of essential molecules along axons. 3. **Co-opted Retrotransposon Function:** As a domesticated Gag-like protein, [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) might have been co-opted to participate in intracellular vesicle trafficking, protein complex assembly, or other processes that require protein-protein oligomerization, leveraging its ancestral viral function for a novel cellular purpose. To test the primary hypothesis regarding its role in ciliary function, a key experiment would be to use CRISPR-Cas9 to knock out [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) in a human bronchial epithelial cell line capable of differentiating at an air-liquid interface to form a ciliated epithelium. Subsequent analysis using immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy could assess defects in cilia formation and structure, while high-speed video microscopy could measure ciliary beat frequency. Co-immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry would be crucial for identifying its binding partners within the ciliary proteome. Regarding therapeutic potential, [RTL8A](/details-gene/26071) is an intracellular protein, making it a challenging target for conventional antibody-based or small-molecule therapies. However, should its dysfunction be causally linked to diseases involving ciliary defects (ciliopathies) or retinal degeneration, it could represent a potential target for gene-replacement or RNA-based therapeutic strategies. Further research is required to validate its role in any specific pathology.

Genular Protein ID: 346607358

Symbol: RTL8A_HUMAN

Name: Mammalian retrotransposon derived protein 8A

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

Q9BWD3 A2A2V9 Q8TBU2

Database IDs:

AGR 1 AlphaFoldDB 1 Antibodypedia 1 Bgee 1 BioGRID 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 BioMuta 1 CCDS 1 CTD 1 ChiTaRS 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 EMBL 3 Ensembl 1 GeneCards 1 GeneTree 1 GenomeRNAi 1 HGNC 1 HOGENOM 1 HPA 1 InParanoid 1 IntAct 1 InterPro 2 KEGG 1 MANE-Select 1 MassIVE 1 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OMA 1 OpenTargets 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PRO 1 PathwayCommons 1 PaxDb 1 PeptideAtlas 1 Pfam 1 PharmGKB 1 Pharos 1 PhosphoSitePlus 1 PhylomeDB 1 Proteomes 1 ProteomicsDB 1 Pumba 1 RNAct 1 RefSeq 2 SMR 1 STRING 1 SignaLink 1 TopDownProteomics 1 TreeFam 1 UCSC 1 VEuPathDB 1 eggNOG 1 iPTMnet 1 jPOST 1 neXtProt 1

Citations:

PubMed ID: 15772651

Title: The DNA sequence of the human X chromosome.

PubMed ID: 15772651

DOI: 10.1038/nature03440

PubMed ID: 15489334

Title: The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC).

PubMed ID: 15489334

DOI: 10.1101/gr.2596504

PubMed ID: 16093683

Title: A family of neofunctionalized Ty3/gypsy retrotransposon genes in mammalian genomes.

PubMed ID: 16093683

DOI: 10.1159/000084963

PubMed ID: 21269460

Title: Initial characterization of the human central proteome.

PubMed ID: 21269460

DOI: 10.1186/1752-0509-5-17

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 113
  • Mass: 13188
  • Checksum: 65227B6D28946B9F
  • Sequence:
    • MDGRVQLMKA LLAGPLRPAA RRWRNPIPFP ETFDGDTDRL PEFIVQTSSY MFVDENTFSN 
DALKVTFLIT RLTGPALQWV IPYIRKESPL LNDYRGFLAE MKRVFGWEED EDF