GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:6483

LAMA3

laminin subunit alpha 3

protein-coding gene18q11.2Gene information

What does this gene do?

The LAMA3 gene provides instructions for making one part (subunit) of a protein called laminin 332 (formerly known as laminin 5). This protein is made up of three subunits, called alpha, beta, and gamma. The LAMA3 gene carries instructions for the alpha subunit; the beta and gamma subunits are produced from other genes. Three versions of the alpha subunit, called alpha-3a, alpha-3b1, and alpha-3b2, are produced from the LAMA3 gene.

Laminins are a group of proteins that regulate cell growth, cell movement (motility), and the attachment of cells to one another (adhesion). They are also involved in the formation and organization of basement membranes, which are thin, sheet-like structures that separate and support cells in many tissues. Laminin 332 has a particularly important role in the basement membrane that underlies the top layer of skin (the epidermis). This membrane gives strength and resiliency to the skin and creates an additional barrier between the body and its surrounding environment. Laminin 332 is a major component of fibers called anchoring filaments, which connect the two layers of the basement membrane and help hold the skin together.

Studies suggest that laminin 332 also has several other functions. This protein appears to be important in the formation of early wound-healing tissues. Additionally, researchers have proposed roles for laminin 332 in the clear outer covering of the eye (the cornea) and in the development of tooth enamel.

The alpha subunit produced from the LAMA3 gene is also part of two other laminin proteins, laminin 311 and laminin 321. These laminins also appear to provide strength to the skin, although they do not play as big a role as laminin 332. In addition, laminin 311 is involved in cell signaling in the lungs and other tissues.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2023-04-12. Source review: 2014-09.

ClinGen reviews

We found no matching ClinGen review in the data used here. This does not rule out a link between the gene and a condition.

ClinVar records

These numbers show what has been submitted to ClinVar. They cannot tell you how likely you are to have a condition.

Submitted alleles: 2,382
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene: 3,219
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene: 3,139
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic: 290
VariationIDs with uncertain significance: 651
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications: 81

The rows count different things: alleles, submissions or VariationIDs. Their categories can overlap, so do not add them together. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic counts exclude structural variants that merely overlap a gene. A dash in the source means “not reported,” not zero.

NCBI produces the gene-summary file each week using counts recorded at the start of the month. The numbers may differ from those on the live ClinVar website. Read the field definitions ↗

View this gene in ClinVar ↗

YOUR DNA FILE

Can your DNA file tell you about LAMA3?

From a DNA test kit (such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA or MyHeritage). These kits check a fixed list of about 600,000 to 700,000 positions across your whole genome. ClinVar lists 290 alleles in LAMA3 reported as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. A kit checks only some of these positions, and often none of them.

From whole genome sequencing (a VCF file). Sequencing reads most of your genome. Your file lists the places where your DNA differs from the reference genome. Some regions are hard to sequence, including parts of some genes that have near-identical copies elsewhere, and a VCF file does not record which positions were read well.

If a variant is not in your file, that does not mean you don’t have it.

What BioDecode checks

BioDecode compares every variant in your file with ClinVar, on your own computer. For each match, it shows the ClinVar classification, the review status and the condition it was reported for. Your file is not uploaded.

A ClinVar classification applies to one particular variant and the condition it was reported for. It does not tell you about other variants in LAMA3.

BioDecode cannot fill gaps in your test, diagnose a condition or replace clinical testing.

Buy BioDecode See a sample report →Check file compatibility →