GENE REFERENCE / HGNC:9817

RAD51

RAD51 recombinase

protein-coding gene15q15.1Gene information

What does this gene do?

The RAD51 gene provides instructions for making a protein that is essential for repairing damaged DNA. Exposure to radiation, ultraviolet light, or certain chemicals can cause breaks in DNA. Breaks also occur when chromosomes exchange genetic material in preparation for cell division. The RAD51 protein attaches (binds) to the DNA at the site of a break and encases it in a protein sheath, which is an essential step in the repair process.

In the nucleus of many cells, the RAD51 protein interacts with many other proteins, including other RAD51 proteins, BRCA1, and BRCA2. The RAD51 protein needs to bind to other RAD51 proteins to function effectively. The BRCA2 protein regulates the activity of the RAD51 protein by transporting it to sites of DNA damage in the nucleus. The interaction between the BRCA1 protein and the RAD51 protein is less clear, although research suggests that BRCA1 may also activate RAD51 in response to DNA damage. By helping repair DNA, these three proteins play a role in maintaining the stability of a cell's genetic information.

The RAD51 protein is also thought to play a role in the developing nervous system, specifically in the development of nerve cells (neurons) that extend down the spinal cord (corticospinal tracts). These neurons send electrical signals that lead to voluntary muscle movement.

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Source publication: 2025-05-19. Source review: 2025-05.

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: 528
Submissions for variants in or overlapping this gene: 690
Submissions explicitly reporting this gene: 668
Alleles reported pathogenic / likely pathogenic: 15
VariationIDs with uncertain significance: 255
VariationIDs with conflicting classifications: 7

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 RAD51?

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 15 alleles in RAD51 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 RAD51.

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

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