Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3C (APOBEC3C)

Apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3C (APOBEC3C) is a cytidine deaminase and member of the APOBEC3 family, functioning primarily in innate antiviral immunity. It edits single-stranded DNA by catalyzing the deamination of cytidine to uridine, an activity that restricts the replication of endogenous retroelements and various retroviruses, though it inhibits HIV-1 only weakly but is more effective against simian immunodeficiency virus[1][3][4][5]. APOBEC3C is highly expressed in response to genotoxic stress, regulated by p53, and is mainly localized to the nucleolus, where it is excluded from DNA damage sites[5]. In cancer, especially prostate cancer, APOBEC3C acts as a potential tumor suppressor—its downregulation is associated with cancer progression, adverse outcomes, and resistance to androgen receptor antagonists, making it a clinically relevant biomarker. No current small-molecule drugs directly target its activity, but its modulation has implications for antiviral defense, cancer biology, and therapeutic resistance[2][4][5][7].

Other names

DNA dC->dU-editing enzyme APOBEC-3CAPOBEC1LPBIA3CARDC2ARDC4ARP5APOBEC1-likePhorbolin IbK150C2.3Probable DNA dC->dU-editing enzyme APOBEC-3CApolipoprotein B editing enzyme catalytic polypeptide-like 3C

Not applicable for direct drugs, but resistance to AR pathway inhibitors in prostate cancer when APOBEC3C expression is low[2]