| 2002 |
The C5 domain of the COL6A3 α3(VI) chain is synthesized and incorporated into newly formed collagen VI fibrils but is cleaved off immediately after secretion and is absent from the mature pericellular type VI collagen matrix in adult articular cartilage, as shown by confocal laser-scanning microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy with a specific anti-C5 antiserum. |
Confocal laser-scanning microscopy, immunoelectron microscopy, double-labeling immunostaining |
Biochemical and biophysical research communications |
Medium |
11785962
|
| 2002 |
Homozygous loss-of-function mutations in COL6A3 (splice-site 6930+5A>G causing exon 29 skipping, and nonsense R2342X) cause Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy with partial or complete absence of collagen VI in muscle and fibroblasts, establishing COL6A3 as a causal gene for this muscular dystrophy. |
Microsatellite linkage mapping, Sanger sequencing of COL6A3 mutations, muscle biopsy immunostaining for collagen VI |
American journal of human genetics |
High |
11992252
|
| 1998 |
A missense mutation (Gly→Glu) in the von Willebrand factor type A (vWFA/N2) domain of COL6A3 segregates with autosomal dominant Bethlem myopathy in a large pedigree, demonstrating that mutations in the N-terminal globular domain (as well as the triple-helical domain) of COL6A3 can cause Bethlem myopathy. |
Linkage analysis, Sanger sequencing, segregation analysis in 31 family members, exclusion from 338 control chromosomes |
Human molecular genetics |
High |
9536084
|
| 1999 |
A de novo Gly→Arg substitution in the triple-helical coding region of COL6A3 disrupts triple helix structure and causes autosomal dominant Bethlem myopathy, confirming that glycine substitutions in the triple helix of α3(VI) collagen are pathogenic. |
Clinical description, Sanger sequencing, bioinformatic domain analysis |
Neuromuscular disorders |
Medium |
10399756
|
| 2013 |
Mice expressing a non-functional α3(VI) collagen chain (Col6a3 mutant) lack extracellular collagen VI microfibrils, show decreased muscle mass and contractile force, and display ultrastructurally abnormal collagen fibrils in tendon but not cornea, indicating a tissue-specific role of COL6A3 in collagen I fibrillogenesis. The C-terminal cleavage product of α3(VI) is not required for normal growth and development. |
Transgenic mouse model, electron microscopy, muscle contractile force measurements, immunofluorescence, histopathology |
The Journal of biological chemistry |
High |
23564457
|
| 2014 |
Heterozygous deletion of exon 16 in the Col6a3 gene produces a mutant α3(VI) protein that exerts a dominant-negative effect on collagen VI microfibrillar assembly in fibroblasts, recapitulating dominant Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy; mutant mice develop myopathy with mitochondrial and sarcoplasmic reticulum ultrastructural alterations and compromised muscle contractile function. |
Targeted gene deletion (mouse model), biosynthetic pulse-chase studies, electron microscopy, muscle contractile function assays |
The Journal of biological chemistry |
High |
24563484
|
| 2015 |
Recessive compound heterozygous mutations in COL6A3, with at least one allele affecting exon 41, cause early-onset isolated dystonia (DYT27) with underlying neurodevelopmental deficits (axonal outgrowth deficits) in zebrafish; Col6a3 is expressed in neurons of the adult mouse brain, placing COL6A3 in a neuronal extracellular matrix pathway distinct from its role in muscle. |
Whole-exome sequencing, zebrafish morpholino knockdown with in-frame deletions, axonal outgrowth assay, mouse brain in situ hybridization/RT-PCR |
American journal of human genetics |
High |
26004199
|
| 2008 |
The t(1;2)(p13;q37) chromosomal translocation generates a COL6A3-CSF1 fusion transcript in tenosynovial giant cell tumors; in-frame fusion products were detected by RT-PCR, with CSF1 breakpoints downstream of exon 5 so the fusion does not encode the CSF1 receptor-binding amino-terminal domain. |
Cytogenetics, RT-PCR, sequence analysis of breakpoints |
Genes, chromosomes & cancer |
Medium |
17918257
|
| 2011 |
COL6A3 undergoes tumor-specific alternative splicing in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, with consistent inclusion of exons 3, 4, and 6 in tumor tissue but not adjacent normal tissue; exon 4 inclusion is exclusively tumor-specific, suggesting cancer-specific isoforms contribute to desmoplastic stroma. |
RT-PCR with isoform-specific primers, Western blot, immunohistochemistry in paired PDA vs. normal tissues and animal models |
Surgery |
Medium |
21719059
|
| 2014 |
siRNA allele-specifically targeting a COL6A3 exon-16 skipping mutation in UCMD patient fibroblasts selectively suppresses mutant transcript expression without affecting the wild-type allele, and treatment considerably improves collagen VI matrix quantity and quality as assessed by confocal microscopy. |
siRNA allele-specific silencing, quantitative RT-PCR, reporter construct in HEK293T, confocal microscopy of collagen VI matrix |
Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids |
Medium |
24518369
|
| 2017 |
Gapmer antisense oligonucleotides targeting a heterozygous 18-nt deletion mutation in COL6A3 exon 15 selectively suppress mutant transcripts at the mRNA level (more effectively than pre-mRNA targeting) via RNase H recruitment, resulting in increased deposition of collagen VI protein into the extracellular matrix in patient-derived cells. |
Gapmer AON transfection, RT-PCR/qPCR of allele-specific transcripts, Western blot of collagen VI matrix deposition |
Molecular therapy. Nucleic acids |
Medium |
28918041
|
| 2018 |
COL6A3 knockdown in human adipocytes increases triglyceride content, lipolysis, insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation, and adipogenic gene expression, and abrogates TNF-α- and LPS-induced MCP1 (CCL2) mRNA expression and secretion; matrix metalloproteinase-11 treatment reduces COL6A3 protein and simultaneously suppresses MCP1 induction, placing COL6A3 upstream of inflammatory MCP1 signaling in adipocytes. |
Stable shRNA knockdown in immortalized human preadipocytes, MTT/lipolysis/insulin signaling assays, MMP-11 treatment, co-culture with THP1 macrophages, RT-PCR/ELISA |
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) |
Medium |
27312141
|
| 2014 |
PPARG knockdown in developing human adipocytes increases COL6A3 mRNA ~1.5-fold, and COL6A3 mRNA is ~2.8-fold higher in small (less mature) compared to large adipocytes, demonstrating that PPARγ-mediated adipocyte differentiation negatively regulates COL6A3 expression. |
PPARG siRNA knockdown in primary human adipocytes (euglycemic clamp-phenotyped subjects), adipocyte size fractionation from surgical biopsies, RT-qPCR |
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) |
Medium |
24719315
|
| 2015 |
Leptin treatment causes a dose-dependent decrease in COL6A3 expression in human adipose tissue, while insulin and glucose have no effect, demonstrating a direct paracrine regulatory pathway by which leptin modulates extracellular matrix composition through COL6A3. |
In vitro leptin/insulin/glucose treatment of adipose tissue explants, RT-qPCR, comparison across depot and obesity status |
Endocrinology |
Medium |
25337653
|
| 2018 |
COL6A3-derived endotrophin (ETP, cleaved from the C5 domain) induces JNK-dependent hepatocyte apoptosis and activates non-parenchymal liver cells to promote hepatic inflammation and fibrosis; neutralizing anti-ETP antibodies suppress these pathological consequences in chronic liver disease models. |
Recombinant ETP treatment of hepatocytes, JNK pathway analysis, neutralizing antibody treatment in chronic liver disease mouse models, co-culture experiments |
The Journal of pathology |
Medium |
30246318
|
| 2020 |
Two homozygous COL6A3 mutations (p.Val86Ala and p.Arg689Cys) identified in Peters' anomaly patients cause abnormal intracellular retention of mutant COL6A3 protein and reduce cellular resistance to oxidative stress through an enhanced endoplasmic reticulum stress response. |
Patient exome/panel sequencing, immunofluorescence for protein localization, ER stress markers, oxidative stress assays in cell lines expressing mutant protein |
Frontiers in cell and developmental biology |
Medium |
33304895
|
| 2020 |
COL6A3 overexpression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) promotes mitophagy (colocalization of mitochondria and lysosomes, restored mitochondrial membrane potential), enhances osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, and reduces LPS-induced inflammatory mediator expression (iNOS, COX-2); blockade of mitophagy with Mdivi-1 abolishes these COL6A3-mediated effects. |
Lentiviral COL6A3 overexpression, Western blot, TUNEL apoptosis, JC-1 staining, immunofluorescence colocalization, mitophagy inhibitor (Mdivi-1) rescue experiment |
Molecular biology reports |
Medium |
38270688
|
| 2023 |
Experimental knockdown of COL6A3 induces transcriptional changes overlapping with the majority of experimental senescence models, with cell-cycle arrest linked to modulation of DREAM complex-targeted genes, identifying COL6A3 as a functional inducer of cellular senescence. |
COL6A3 siRNA knockdown, RNA-seq transcriptome comparison across 10 senescence models, DREAM complex gene-set analysis |
Cell reports |
Medium |
37938972
|
| 2020 |
PRRX1 transcription factor directly transactivates the human COL6A3 promoter (reporter assay), and PRRX1 knockdown reduces COL6A3 mRNA in human and mouse adipose cells; TGF-β1 upregulates Col6a3 mRNA while TNF-α decreases PRRX1-mediated transactivation, placing PRRX1 as a transcriptional regulator of COL6A3 in adipose tissue. |
PRRX1 knockdown and overexpression, COL6A3 promoter-reporter luciferase assay, qRT-PCR in human/mouse adipose cells, TGF-β1 and TNF-α treatment |
Scientific reports |
Medium |
33214660
|
| 2024 |
A damaging COL6A3 variant introduced by CRISPR-Cas9 into iPSC-derived neocartilage organoids results in significantly lower binding between pericellular matrix proteins COL6A3 and fibronectin, provokes an osteoarthritic chondrocyte state, and abolishes the characteristic inflammatory signaling response (PTGS2, PECAM1, ADAMTS5) to hyperphysiological mechanical loading; the lncRNA MIR31HG is identified as a key epigenetic regulator of this loading response. |
CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing of iPSC-derived neocartilage organoids, multi-omics (mRNA and lncRNA), protein binding assay, mechanical loading |
Advanced science |
High |
39021299
|
| 2026 |
A damaging COL6A3 variant in iPSC-derived chondrocytes reduces pericellular matrix (PCM) elastic modulus, reduces expression of key matrix proteins, causes heightened osmotically-induced calcium signaling (consistent with reduced PCM stiffness), reduces anabolic response to TRPV4 activation, disrupts circadian rhythms (increased BMAL1, phase shift), and exacerbates catabolic response to IL-1, demonstrating that COL6A3 regulates chondrocyte mechanotransduction via PCM mechanical properties. |
CRISPR-edited iPSC-derived chondrocytes, atomic force microscopy of PCM modulus, calcium imaging, TRPV4 activation assays, RNA-seq, circadian rhythm analysis, IL-1 stimulation |
Stem cell research & therapy |
High |
41692747
|
| 2025 |
ETP-specific knockout mice (ETPKO), generated by inserting lox2272 sites into the Col6a3 locus to selectively ablate ETP while preserving Col6a3 expression, show that ETP depletion significantly attenuates kidney fibrosis progression in ischemia-reperfusion injury, establishing endotrophin as a key driver of fibrosis independently of the full COL6A3 protein. |
Cre-lox ETP-specific knockout mouse generation, genomic sequencing confirmation, mCherry reporter, renal ischemia-reperfusion injury model, fibrosis quantification |
bioRxiv (preprint)preprint |
Medium |
|
| 2025 |
Integrative Mendelian randomization and colocalization identified COL6A3-derived endotrophin as mediating the effect of obesity (BMI) on coronary artery disease risk; body fat reduction decreases plasma endotrophin levels, implicating ETP as a tractable circulating mediator linking adiposity to cardiovascular disease. |
Two-step proteome-wide Mendelian randomization, Bayesian colocalization, single-cell RNA sequencing, epigenomics, clinical intervention (fat loss) studies |
Nature genetics |
Medium |
39856218
|
| 2025 |
COL6A3 exon 4 inclusion is identified as one of a 5-ASE signature specifically associated with TGFβ-induced myofibroblast differentiation in primary skin fibroblasts, validated by ddPCR and AS-PCR and retrieved in multiple independent RNA-seq datasets of TGFβ-stimulated lung and skin fibroblasts. |
RNA-seq, ddPCR, AS-PCR in primary skin fibroblasts, validation in public lung/skin fibroblast datasets |
bioRxiv (preprint)preprint |
Low |
|