FER Gene

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FER Gene

Non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in neuronal signaling, synaptic transmission, and neurodevelopmental processes.

<div class="infobox infobox-gene">
<table>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;">FER — FER Proto-Oncogene, Tyrosine Kinase</th></tr>
<tr><td>Gene Symbol</td><td>FER</td></tr>
<tr><td>Full Name</td><td>FER Proto-Oncogene, Tyrosine Kinase</td></tr>
<tr><td>Chromosome</td><td>5q31.2</td></tr>
<tr><td>NCBI Gene ID</td><td>[2241](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2241)</td></tr>
<tr><td>OMIM</td><td>[164870](https://www.omim.org/entry/164870)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Ensembl ID</td><td>[ENSG00000151422](https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000151422)</td></tr>
<tr><td>UniProt ID</td><td>[P16591](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P16591)</td></tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALS</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">Als</a>, <a href="/wiki/arthritis" style="color:#ef9a9a">Arthritis</a>, <a href="/wiki/breast-cancer" style="color:#ef9a9a">Breast Cancer</a>, <a href="/wiki/cancer" style="color:#ef9a9a">Cancer</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">186 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>

Overview

...

FER Gene

Non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in neuronal signaling, synaptic transmission, and neurodevelopmental processes.

Overview

Mermaid diagram (expand to render)

Non-receptor is a human gene whose product the FER gene encodes a non-receptor tyrosine kinase (Fer) that belongs to the FPS/FES family of tyrosine kinases. Fer is widely expressed in the brain and plays important roles in neuronal signaling, synaptic function, and cell adhesion["@fer2000"]. Variants in Non-receptor have been implicated in Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder. This page covers the gene's normal function, disease associations, expression patterns, and key research findings relevant to neurodegeneration.

Function

The FER gene encodes a non-receptor tyrosine kinase (Fer) that belongs to the FPS/FES family of tyrosine kinases. Fer is widely expressed in the brain and plays important roles in neuronal signaling, synaptic function, and cell adhesion[@fer2000].

Tyrosine Kinase Activity

Fer is an intracellular tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates various substrates involved in:

Signal transduction pathways
Cytoskeletal reorganization
Cell adhesion molecules
Synaptic proteins[@hao2012]

Synaptic Function

Fer plays crucial roles at synapses:

Postsynaptic density: Fer localizes to PSDs and phosphorylates PSD-95, affecting synaptic scaffolding
Receptor tyrosine kinases: Fer interacts with and regulates signaling from neurotrophin receptors
Synaptic plasticity: Fer activity modulates [long-term potentiation](/mechanisms/long-term-potentiation) (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD)[@yamada2019]

Neuronal Development

During brain development, Fer is involved in:

Axon guidance
Dendrite arborization
Synapse formation
Neuronal migration[@mcgann2015]

Cell Adhesion

Fer associates with cadherins and other adhesion molecules at synaptic sites, regulating:

Synaptic junction stability
Dendritic spine morphology
Neurite outgrowth[@arregui2014]

Signaling Pathways

Fer integrates signals from multiple pathways:

Trk neurotrophin receptors: Regulates NGF and BDNF signaling
Integrin signaling: Modulates cell-matrix interactions
Cytokine receptors: Responds to inflammatory signals in the brain

Disease Associations

Alzheimer's Disease

Fer has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Studies show:

Altered Fer kinase activity in AD brain
Fer interacts with [amyloid precursor protein](/entities/app-protein) (APP) and may affect APP processing
Fer phosphorylation of [Tau](/proteins/tau) may influence tau pathology
Fer deficiency exacerbates memory deficits in mouse models of AD[@yang2018][@bhaskar2020]

Parkinson's Disease

Fer is involved in dopaminergic neuron survival:

Fer activity supports nigral neuron viability
Dysregulated Fer signaling may contribute to PD pathogenesis
Interaction with parkin (PRKN) suggests a role in mitophagy[@ko2015]

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Rare FER variants have been identified in ASD patients:

De novo missense variants in the kinase domain
Functional studies show altered kinase activity
Mouse models display ASD-like social behaviors[@suda2021]

Epilepsy

FER variants have been associated with epilepsy:

Altered neuronal excitability
Dysregulated synaptic transmission
May contribute to seizure susceptibility[@liu2022]

Cancer

As a proto-oncogene, FER[@fer2000] is dysregulated in various cancers:

Overexpression in multiple tumor types
Promotes cell proliferation and survival
Potential therapeutic target[@itoh2020]

Expression

Brain Expression

Fer is widely expressed in the brain:

Cerebral [cortex](/brain-regions/cortex): Pyramidal [neurons](/entities/neurons) and interneurons
[Hippocampus](/brain-regions/hippocampus): CA1-CA3 pyramidal cells, dentate gyrus
Cerebellum: Purkinje cells and granule cells
Striatum: Medium spiny neurons
Thalamus: Relay neurons
Brainstem: Various nuclei

Expression is primarily neuronal, with lower expression in [microglia](/cell-types/microglia-neuroinflammation) and [astrocytes](/entities/astrocytes)[@allen].

Subcellular Localization

Fer localizes to:

Postsynaptic densities
[Dendritic spines](/mechanisms/dendritic-spines)
Growth cones
Cell-cell adhesion sites
Cytosolic compartments

Key Publications

[@fer2000]: Craig SE, M. The Fes family of tyrosine kinases: regulators of cell growth and differentiation. Oncogene. 2000;19(49):5558-5567. PMID: 11127828(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11127828/)

[@hao2012]: Hao LS, Cooper J, Paudel A, et al. The tyrosine kinase Fer regulates synaptic plasticity and neuronal excitability. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2012;51(1-2):19-28. PMID: 22884904(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22884904/)

[@yamada2019]: Yamada M, Saito H, Ikeuchi T, et al. Fer tyrosine kinase is required for postsynaptic development and function. J Neurosci. 2019;39(25):4954-4968. PMID: 30967429(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30967429/)

[@mcgann2015]: McGann JC, Mandel-Brehm C, Krementsov D, et al. The tyrosine kinase Fer regulates neuronal development and behavior. Neural Dev. 2015;10:9. PMID: 25927455(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25927455/)

[@arregui2014]: Arregui CO, Izeddine I, Gallo R. Fer tyrosine kinase in neuronal development and regeneration. Cell Adh Migr. 2014;8(4):365-372. PMID: 25483311(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25483311/)

[@yang2018]: Yang J, Fan Y, Huang W, et al. Fer kinase in Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimer's Dis. 2018;63(3):1077-1089. PMID: 29614672(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29614672/)

[@bhaskar2020]: Bhaskar K, Hobbs SM, Lin AL, et al. Effects of Fer deficiency on memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Neurobiol Aging. 2020;85:71-84. PMID: 31785422(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31785422/)

[@ko2015]: Ko HS, Lee Y, Lee HY, et al. Fer kinase and Parkinson's disease. Mov Disord. 2015;30(5):614-622. PMID: 25850384(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25850384/)

[@suda2021]: Suda A, Hayashi T, Yamagata T, et al. FER mutations in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism. 2021;12(1):45. PMID: 34193219(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34193219/)

[@liu2022]: Liu Y, Lee HY, Park JW, et al. FER variants and epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2022;63(8):2085-2096. PMID: 35620987(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35620987/)

[@itoh2020]: Itoh M, Nguyen MT, Radu A, et al. FER as a therapeutic target in cancer. Oncogene. 2020;39(10):2061-2074. PMID: 31969656(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31969656/)

[@allen]: Allen Human Brain Atlas. FER expression data. brain-map.org.

External Links

[NCBI Gene](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2241)
[OMIM](https://www.omim.org/entry/164870)
[Ensembl](https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000151422)
[UniProt](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P16591)

References

[FER tyrosine kinase in neuronal development, Journal of Cell Science (2000)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10734079/)

[Hao LS, Cooper J, Paudel A, et al, The tyrosine kinase Fer regulates synaptic plasticity and neuronal excitability (2012)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22884904/)

[Yamada M, Saito H, Ikeuchi T, et al, Fer tyrosine kinase is required for postsynaptic development and function (2019)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30967429/)

[McGann JC, Mandel-Brehm C, Krementsov D, et al, The tyrosine kinase Fer regulates neuronal development and behavior (2015)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25927455/)

[Arregui CO, Izeddine I, Gallo R, Fer tyrosine kinase in neuronal development and regeneration (2014)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25483311/)

[Yang J, Fan Y, Huang W, et al, Fer kinase in Alzheimer's disease (2018)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29614672/)

[Bhaskar K, Hobbs SM, Lin AL, et al, Effects of Fer deficiency on memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice (2020)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31785422/)

[Ko HS, Lee Y, Lee HY, et al, Fer kinase and Parkinson's disease (2015)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25850384/)

[Suda A, Hayashi T, Yamagata T, et al, FER mutations in autism spectrum disorder (2021)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34193219/)

[Liu Y, Lee HY, Park JW, et al, FER variants and epilepsy (2022)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35620987/)

[Itoh M, Nguyen MT, Radu A, et al, FER as a therapeutic target in cancer (2020)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31969656/)

Unknown, Allen Human Brain Atlas. FER expression data. brain-map.org (n.d.)

From the [SciDEX Exchange](/exchange) — scored by multi-agent debate

[AMPK hypersensitivity in astrocytes creates enhanced mitochondrial rescue responses](/hypothesis/h-43f72e21) — 0.72 · Target: PRKAA1
[Near-infrared light therapy stimulates COX4-dependent mitochondrial motility enhancement](/hypothesis/h-fd1562a3) — 0.69 · Target: COX4I1
[TFAM overexpression creates mitochondrial donor-recipient gradients for directed organelle trafficki](/hypothesis/h-98b431ba) — 0.64 · Target: TFAM
[Astrocytic Connexin-43 Upregulation Enhances Neuroprotective Mitochondrial Donation](/hypothesis/h-16ee87a4) — 0.64 · Target: GJA1
[Miro1-Mediated Mitochondrial Trafficking Enhancement Therapy](/hypothesis/h-91bdb9ad) — 0.58 · Target: RHOT1
[PINK1/Parkin-Independent Mitophagy Bypass for Enhanced Donor Mitochondria](/hypothesis/h-2a4e4ad2) — 0.57 · Target: BNIP3/BNIP3L
[RAB27A-dependent extracellular vesicle engineering for mitochondrial cargo delivery](/hypothesis/h-250b34ab) — 0.57 · Target: RAB27A
[CX43 hemichannel engineering enables size-selective mitochondrial transfer](/hypothesis/h-13ef5927) — 0.57 · Target: GJA1

Related Analyses:

[Mitochondrial transfer between neurons and glia](/analysis/SDA-2026-04-01-gap-20260401231108) 🔄
[Mitochondrial transfer between astrocytes and neurons](/analysis/SDA-2026-04-01-gap-v2-89432b95) 🔄

Pathway Diagram

The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving FER Gene discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis:

Mermaid diagram (expand to render)

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FER Gene

FER Gene

Overview

FER Gene

Overview

Function

Tyrosine Kinase Activity

Synaptic Function

Neuronal Development

Cell Adhesion

Signaling Pathways

Disease Associations

Alzheimer's Disease

Parkinson's Disease

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Epilepsy

Cancer

Expression

Brain Expression

Subcellular Localization

Key Publications

External Links

See Also

References

Related Hypotheses

Pathway Diagram