FER Gene

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><strong>Gene Symbol</strong></td><td>FER</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Full Name</strong></td><td>FER Proto-Oncogene, Tyrosine Kinase</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Chromosome</strong></td><td>5q31.2</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>NCBI Gene ID</strong></td><td>[2241](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2241)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>OMIM</strong></td><td>[164870](https://www.omim.org/entry/164870)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Ensembl ID</strong></td><td>[ENSG00000151422](https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000151422)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>UniProt ID</strong></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.

<div class="infobox infobox-gene">
<table>
<tr><th colspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;">FER — FER Proto-Oncogene, Tyrosine Kinase</th></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Gene Symbol</strong></td><td>FER</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Full Name</strong></td><td>FER Proto-Oncogene, Tyrosine Kinase</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Chromosome</strong></td><td>5q31.2</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>NCBI Gene ID</strong></td><td>[2241](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2241)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>OMIM</strong></td><td>[164870](https://www.omim.org/entry/164870)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Ensembl ID</strong></td><td>[ENSG00000151422](https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000151422)</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>UniProt ID</strong></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

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

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)

See Also

• [Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
• [Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease)

References

Related Hypotheses

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

• [AMPK hypersensitivity in astrocytes creates enhanced mitochondrial rescue responses](/hypothesis/h-43f72e21) — <span style="color:#81c784;font-weight:600">0.72</span> · Target: PRKAA1
• [Near-infrared light therapy stimulates COX4-dependent mitochondrial motility enhancement](/hypothesis/h-fd1562a3) — <span style="color:#81c784;font-weight:600">0.69</span> · Target: COX4I1
• [TFAM overexpression creates mitochondrial donor-recipient gradients for directed organelle trafficki](/hypothesis/h-98b431ba) — <span style="color:#81c784;font-weight:600">0.64</span> · Target: TFAM
• [Astrocytic Connexin-43 Upregulation Enhances Neuroprotective Mitochondrial Donation](/hypothesis/h-16ee87a4) — <span style="color:#81c784;font-weight:600">0.64</span> · Target: GJA1
• [Miro1-Mediated Mitochondrial Trafficking Enhancement Therapy](/hypothesis/h-91bdb9ad) — <span style="color:#ffd54f;font-weight:600">0.58</span> · Target: RHOT1
• [PINK1/Parkin-Independent Mitophagy Bypass for Enhanced Donor Mitochondria](/hypothesis/h-2a4e4ad2) — <span style="color:#ffd54f;font-weight:600">0.57</span> · Target: BNIP3/BNIP3L
• [RAB27A-dependent extracellular vesicle engineering for mitochondrial cargo delivery](/hypothesis/h-250b34ab) — <span style="color:#ffd54f;font-weight:600">0.57</span> · Target: RAB27A
• [CX43 hemichannel engineering enables size-selective mitochondrial transfer](/hypothesis/h-13ef5927) — <span style="color:#ffd54f;font-weight:600">0.57</span> · Target: GJA1

Related Analyses:

• [Mitochondrial transfer between neurons and glia](/analysis/SDA-2026-04-01-gap-20260401231108) &#x1f504;
• [Mitochondrial transfer between astrocytes and neurons](/analysis/SDA-2026-04-01-gap-v2-89432b95) &#x1f504;

Pathway Diagram

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