OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-11 23:52 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

MSH6 mutS homolog 6

ENSG00000116062 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

Component of the post-replicative DNA mismatch repair system (MMR). Heterodimerizes with MSH2 to form MutS alpha, which binds to DNA mismatches thereby initiating DNA repair. When bound, MutS alpha bends the DNA helix and shields approximately 20 base pairs, and recognizes single base mismatches and dinucleotide insertion-deletion loops (IDL) in the DNA. After mismatch binding, forms a ternary complex with the MutL alpha heterodimer, which is thought to be responsible for directing the downstream MMR events, including strand discrimination, excision, and resynthesis. ATP binding and hydrolysis play a pivotal role in mismatch repair functions. The ATPase activity associated with MutS alpha regulates binding similar to a molecular switch: mismatched DNA provokes ADP-->ATP exchange, resulting in a discernible conformational transition that converts MutS alpha into a sliding clamp capable of hydrolysis-independent diffusion along the DNA backbone. This transition is crucial for mismatch repair. MutS alpha may also play a role in DNA homologous recombination repair. Recruited on chromatin in G1 and early S phase via its PWWP domain that specifically binds trimethylated 'Lys-36' of histone H3 (H3K36me3): early recruitment to chromatin to be replicated allowing a quick identification of mismatch repair to initiate the DNA mismatch repair reaction. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:10078208, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10660545, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15064730, ECO:0000269|PubMed:21120944, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23622243, ECO:0000269|PubMed:9564049, ECO:0000269|PubMed:9822679, ECO:0000269|PubMed:9822680}.

In 13 of 15 cancers, the evidence for MSH6 comes mainly from inherited variants

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751Lynch syndromeLynch syndromeLynch syndrome: somatic 0.88Lynch syndrome: germline 0.95colorectal cancercolorectal cancercolorectal cancer: germline 0.96endometrial cancerendometrial cancerendometrial cancer: germline 0.92mismatch repair cancer syndromemismatch repair cancer syndromemismatch repair cancer syndrome: germline 0.87mismatch repair cancer syndrome 1mismatch repair cancer syndrome 1mismatch repair cancer syndrome 1: germline 0.87endometrial carcinomaendometrial carcinomaendometrial carcinoma: somatic 0.60endometrial carcinoma: germline 0.95colon carcinomacolon carcinomacolon carcinoma: somatic 0.46colon carcinoma: germline 0.91uterine corpus canceruterine corpus canceruterine corpus cancer: germline 0.92hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancerhereditary nonpolyposis colon cancerhereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer: germline 0.94ovarian cancerovarian cancerovarian cancer: somatic 0.77ovarian cancer: germline 0.62colonic neoplasmcolonic neoplasmcolonic neoplasm: somatic 0.30colonic neoplasm: germline 0.94uterine canceruterine canceruterine cancer: germline 0.78female reproductive organ cancerfemale reproductive organ cancerfemale reproductive organ cancer: germline 0.96hereditary neoplastic syndromehereditary neoplastic syndromehereditary neoplastic syndrome: germline 0.95ovarian neoplasmovarian neoplasmovarian neoplasm: somatic 0.77ovarian neoplasm: germline 0.45

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

Small molecule
Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Pocket
PROTAC
Database Ubiquitination, Half-life Data

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.713670015335083 (upper bound 0.8547300100326538). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

No named investigators on registry trials of MSH6's approved or late-stage drugs in the last three years.

No terminated, withdrawn or suspended trials of MSH6's drugs are registered

All 0 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
No drugs or clinical candidates recorded.