Pathway candidateNCBI-verifiedprotein-coding

STRA6

signaling receptor and transporter of retinol STRA6

NCBI Gene: 64220 Ensembl GeneCards UniProt: Q9BX79

Pathway candidate — not linked to PFS or PSSD by any record here

STRA6 is in the library because it belongs to the retinoid signaling family. No study, report or commentary in the corpus names it, so a variant in STRA6 is not, by itself, evidence of anything related to post-drug syndromes.

Gene summary

A protein-coding gene on chromosome 15 (retinoid signaling). The protein encoded by this gene is a membrane protein involved in the metabolism of retinol. The encoded protein acts as a receptor for retinol/retinol binding protein complexes. This protein removes the retinol from the complex and transports it across the cell membrane. Defects in this gene are a cause of syndromic microphthalmia type 9 (MCOPS9).

Source: NCBI Gene and Ensembl, accessed 2026-10-11.

Protein reference (UniProt)

Protein: Receptor for retinol uptake STRA6
Function: Functions as a retinol transporter. Accepts all-trans retinol from the extracellular retinol-binding protein RBP4, facilitates retinol transport across the cell membrane, and then transfers retinol to the cytoplasmic retinol-binding protein RBP1. Retinol uptake is enhanced by LRAT, an enzyme that converts retinol to all-trans retinyl esters, the storage forms of vitamin A. Contributes to the activation of a signaling cascade that depends on retinol transport and LRAT-dependent generation of retinol metabolites that then trigger activation of JAK2 and its target STAT5, and ultimately increase the expression of SOCS3 and inhibit cellular responses to insulin. Important for the homeostasis of vitamin A and its derivatives, such as retinoic acid. STRA6-mediated transport is particularly important in the eye, and under conditions of dietary vitamin A deficiency (Probable). Does not transport retinoic acid.
Subcellular location: Cell membrane.
Tissue specificity: Broad expression. In adult eye expressed in sclera, retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and trabecular meshwork but not in choroid and iris.
Associated conditions: Microphthalmia, syndromic, 9 (MCOPS9).

Source: UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot Q9BX79, release 2026_03, licensed CC BY 4.0. This is the protein’s normal biology, not evidence about post-drug syndromes; associated conditions are inherited disorders of the gene, not PFS, PSSD or PRSD.

Why its pathway is in the library

These proteins take vitamin A from blood to gene regulation: RBP4 carries retinol, STRA6 takes it into cells, LRAT stores it, RDH10 and the ALDH1A enzymes turn it into retinoic acid (DHRS3 reverses the first step), CRABP2 carries retinoic acid to the nucleus, the RAR and RXR receptors act on it, and CYP26A1 and CYP26B1 break it down. Isotretinoin, the drug behind post-retinoid sexual dysfunction, is a retinoid; and several retinol dehydrogenases (RDH16, HSD17B6, RDH5) also oxidize androgen metabolites such as 3α-androstanediol, a point of contact with the steroid pathways implicated in PFS.

Written for the whole retinoid signaling family, not for STRA6 specifically.

Mentioned in 0 corpus records

No corpus record names STRA6 directly yet. It is in the library because it sits in a pathway the corpus tracks (retinoid signaling).

Also in retinoid signaling

All 23 genes

Browse by family on the gene families page.

Gene summary

Source: NCBI Gene and Ensembl, accessed 2026-10-11.

Protein reference (UniProt)

Protein: Receptor for retinol uptake STRA6
Function: Functions as a retinol transporter. Accepts all-trans retinol from the extracellular retinol-binding protein RBP4, facilitates retinol transport across the cell membrane, and then transfers retinol to the cytoplasmic retinol-binding protein RBP1. Retinol uptake is enhanced by LRAT, an enzyme that converts retinol to all-trans retinyl esters, the storage forms of vitamin A. Contributes to the activation of a signaling cascade that depends on retinol transport and LRAT-dependent generation of retinol metabolites that then trigger activation of JAK2 and its target STAT5, and ultimately increase the expression of SOCS3 and inhibit cellular responses to insulin. Important for the homeostasis of vitamin A and its derivatives, such as retinoic acid. STRA6-mediated transport is particularly important in the eye, and under conditions of dietary vitamin A deficiency (Probable). Does not transport retinoic acid.
Subcellular location: Cell membrane.
Tissue specificity: Broad expression. In adult eye expressed in sclera, retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and trabecular meshwork but not in choroid and iris.
Associated conditions: Microphthalmia, syndromic, 9 (MCOPS9).

Why its pathway is in the library

Written for the whole retinoid signaling family, not for STRA6 specifically.