CERT1

Chr 5AD

ceramide transporter 1

Also known as: CERT, CERTL, COL4A3BP, GPBP, MRD34, NEDHSF, STARD11

The protein mediates intracellular trafficking of ceramides from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus for sphingomyelin synthesis, sheltering ceramides within its START domain. Mutations cause autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder with hypotonia, speech delay, and dysmorphic facies. The gene shows high constraint against loss-of-function variants (LOEUF 0.364), indicating intolerance to protein-disrupting mutations.

OMIMResearchSummary from RefSeq, OMIM, UniProt
GOFmechanismADLOEUF 0.361 OMIM phenotype
Clinical SummaryCERT1
Population Constraint (gnomAD)
Moderately constrained gene (pLI 0.67) — some intolerance to loss-of-function variants.
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Clinical Trials
1 active or recruiting trial — potential therapeutic options may be available

Population Genetics & Constraint

gnomAD v4 — loss-of-function & missense intolerance

Moderate LoF intolerance
LoF Constraint
0.36LOEUF
pLI 0.667
Z-score 4.81
OE 0.21 (0.130.36)
Moderately constrained

More LoF-intolerant than ~75% of genes

Missense Constraint
2.36Z-score
OE missense 0.67 (0.610.74)
272 obs / 405.9 exp
Mild constraint

Moderately missense-constrained (top ~2.5%)

Observed / Expected Ratios
LoF OE0.21 (0.130.36)
00.351.4
Missense OE0.67 (0.610.74)
00.61.4
Synonymous OE1.19
01.21.6
LoF obs/exp: 9 / 43.1Missense obs/exp: 272 / 405.9Syn Z: -1.79
Curated Mechanism (G2P)Gene2Phenotype (DDG2P) ↗
definitiveCERT1-related intellectual disabilityGOFAD
DN
0.6358th %ile
GOF
0.6442th %ile
LOF
0.4135th %ile

This gene has evidence for multiple mechanisms of pathogenicity (gain-of-function and dominant-negative). Both the Badonyi & Marsh prediction and the broader genomic evidence point to gain-of-function as the predominant mechanism. Different variants in this gene may act through different mechanisms — interpret in context of the specific variant.

GOFprediction above median · 1 literature citation
DNprediction above median

Note: In-silico variant effect predictors (SIFT, PolyPhen, REVEL, CADD) may underestimate pathogenicity of missense variants in genes with GOF or DN mechanisms. Consider functional evidence and clinical context.

Literature Evidence

GOFIntellectual disability-associated gain-of-function mutations in CERT1 that encodes the ceramide transport protein CERT.PMID:33347465

Predictions from Badonyi M, Marsh JA. PLoS ONE. 2024;19(8):e0307312.

ClinVar Variant Classifications

0 submitted variants in ClinVar

Protein Context — Lollipop Plot

CERT1 · protein map & ClinVar variants

Showing all ClinVar variants across the protein. Search a specific variant to highlight its position.

3D Protein StructureAlphaFold
Clinical Literature
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