HGNC Gene Families/Grouping Nomenclature
Giving unique and meaningful names to every human gene

We strongly encourage the development of nomenclature schemes using a "stem" (or "root") symbol for members of a gene family or grouping, with a heirarchical numbering system to distinguish the individual members. This is an efficient and useful way to name large numbers of related genes, and already works well for a number of established gene groupings. When a new gene nomenclature scheme is proposed, we try to contact a number of scientists prominent in that specialist area, to ensure that the majority are in agreement over the symbols (see Specialist Advisors). Please see below for discussions and proposals in the form of HGNC web resources. Proposals for new gene nomenclature schemes should be sent to: hgnc@genenames.org

Gene families/grouping resources

The pages listed below include finalised HGNC resources, those under review and other sites that do not necessarily contain correct nomenclature. Other sites which do use approved nomenclature are shown as HGNC approved. To avoid confusion, the approved stem symbols have been highlighted in bold (within red brackets) and are linked to the Nomenclature Database.

links through to our specialist advisor page.

A-C

C-F

F-K

K-P

P-T

T-Z

• Abhydrolase domain containing genes (ABHD)
• Acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family (ANP32)
• Acyl-CoA synthetases (ACS)
• Acyl-CoA thioesterases (ACOT)
• ADAM metallopeptidase domain family (ADAM)
  • Table of ADAMs HGNC approved
• ADAMTS metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif family (ADAMTS)
  • The Apte Lab ADAMTS and ADAMTSL Resource HGNC approved
• ADP-ribosylation factors (ARF)
• ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase activating proteins (ARFGAP)
• A kinase (PRKA) anchor protein family (AKAP)
• Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH)
• Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH)
  • aldehyde dehydrogenases (general information) HGNC approved
  • ALDH Gene Superfamily Database HGNC approved
• Aldo-keto reductases (AKR)
  • aldo-keto reductase superfamily HGNC approved
• Alkylation repair homologs (ALKB)
• Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases
• Annexins (ANXA)
  • European Annexin Project
• APOBEC gene family (APOBEC)
• Aquaporins (AQP)
• Arachidonate lipoxygenases (ALOX)
• ATPase superfamily (ATP)
  • AAA Server Home Page
  • PatBase (P-type ATPase Database)
• ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC)
  • Human ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters HGNC approved
• Axins (AXIN)
  • Axin/Conductin
• Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing genes (BIRC)
• Basic helix-loop-helix family (BHLH)
• Blood group determination genes
  • Directory of Red Cell Surface Antigens
• Cadherins (CDH)
  • The Cadherin Resource
• Calcium channels (CACN)
• Carbonic anhyrases (CA)
• Caspases (CASP)
• Cathepsins (CTS)
• Cation channels, sperm associated (CATSPER)
• CAZy (carbohydrate-active enzymes)
• CD molecules (CD)
  • HCDM (HLA8 to HCDM)
  • SWISS-PROT
• CDC-like kinases (CLK)
• Chemokine ligands (CCL)
• Chemokine (C-C motif) receptors (CCR)
• Chloride intracellular channels (CLIC)
• Chromatin modifying proteins (CHMP)
• Claudins (CLDN)
• Collectins (COLEC)
• Complement system genes
• Coronins (CORO)
• Cytochrome P450 family (CYP)
  • Cytochrome P450 Homepage
  • Directory of P450-containing Systems
• Cytokines
  • dbCFC (Cytokine Family cDNA Database)
  • COPE (Cytokines Online Pathfinder Encyclopaedia)
• DEAD- and DEAH-boxes (DDX)  (DHX) 
• Deafness loci Hereditary Hearing loss Homepage
• Defensin alpha family (DEFA)
• Defensin beta family (DEFB)
• Dishevelled homologs (DVL)
  • Dishevelled
• DnaJ (Hsp40) homologs (DNAJ)
• Dual specificity phosphatases (DUSP)
• Dyneins (axonemal) (DN)
• Dyneins (cytoplasmic) (DYN)
• E-F Hand Calcium Binding Proteins Data Library
• EMI domain containing genes (EMID)
• ESTHER database (Esterases and alpha/beta hydrolase enzymes)
• Exportins (XPO)
• Fanconi anemia, complementation groups (FANC)
• F-box genes (FBX)
• Forkhead box genes (FOX)
  • Winged Helix Proteins HGNC approved
• Frizzled homologs (FZD)
  • Vertebrate Frizzleds and interactions with Wnts HGNC approved
• Gap junction proteins (connexins) (GJ)
• General transcription factors (GTF)
  • Basal Transcription Factor (TFII) Information
• G protein-coupled receptors (GPR)
  • GPCRDB (Information system for G protein-coupled receptors)
• Histocompatibility complex genes (HLA)
  • HLA Informatics Group HGNC approved
  • IMGT/HLA Sequence Database HGNC approved
  • H-InvDB Gene Families/Groups: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
• Histones HGNC under review
  • Histone Sequence Database
• Homeodomain Resource
• HOX DataBase
• IMGT The International ImMunoGeneTics information system
• Immunoglobulin genes (IG) HGNC approved
  • H-InvDB Gene Families/Groups: Immunogolublin
• T cell receptor genes (TR) HGNC approved
• Importins (IPO)
• Interferons (IFN)
• Interleukin and interleukin receptor genes (IL)
• Integrins (ITG)
  • The Integrin Page
• Intraflagellar transport homologs (IFT)
• Ion channels
  • Ligand-Gated Ion Channel database
• Iroquois homeobox proteins (IRX)
• Kallikreins (KLK)
• Kelch-like family (KLHL)
• Keratins (KRT)
• Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR)
  • IPD - KIR Database
• Killer cell lectin-like receptors (KLR)
• Kinesins (KIF)
  • Kinesin Home Page
• Kruppel-like factors (KLF)
• La ribonucleoprotein domain family (LARP)
• Leukocyte-associated Ig-like receptors (LAIR)
• Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors (LILR)
• LYR motif containing genes (LYRM)
• MADS domain transcription factors (MEF2)
  • The MADS-box Gene Home Page
• Membrane-associated ring fingers (MARCH)
• MAX dimerization proteins (MXD)
• Metalloprotein database
• Metallothioneins (MT)
  • Metallothionein homepage
• MEROPS- the Peptidase Database
• MicroRNAs (MIRN)
• Mitochondrial ribosomal genes (MRPS) (MRPL)
• Mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling cascade genes (MAP#K)
• Mucins (MUC)
• N-acetyltransferases (NAT)
  • Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase (NAT) Nomenclature
• Nuclear factor of activated T-cells  (NFAT)
• Nuclear receptors
  • NuReBase - Nuclear Receptor Database HGNC approved
  • Nuclear Receptor Resource
  • NucleaRDB
• Nucleotide-binding domain, leucine rich repeat containing family (NLR)
• Nudix motif-containing genes (NUDT)
• Opsins (OPN)
• Olfactory receptors (OR)
  • HORDE (The Human Olfactory Receptor Data Exploratorium) HGNC approved
  • ORDB (Olfactory Receptor DataBase)
  • H-InvDB Gene Families/Groups: Olfactory receptors
• Oxysterol binding proteins (OSBP)
• PAHdb - database of PAH mutations
• Paired box genes (PAX)
  • The Human PAX6 Allelic Variant Database Web Site
• Peptidyl arginine deiminases (PADI)
• The Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) Resource
• PHD-type zinc fingers (PHF)
• Phosphodiesterases (PDE)
  • Phosphodiesterase
• PhosphoSite - phosphoprotein database
• Plexins (PLXN)
• Polycomb group ring fingers (PCGF)
• Potassium channels (KCN)
• Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT)
• Protein disulfide isomerases (PDI)
• The Protein Kinase Resource
• Protein phosphatase 1, regulatory (inhibitor) subunit genes (PPP1R)
• Proteoglycans
• Proteasome (prosome, macropain) subunit genes (PSM)
• Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP) , including dual specificity phosphatases
• Protocadherins (PCDH)
• Pseudoautosomal regions gene nomenclature
• Purinergic receptors (P2R)
• RAB, member RAS oncogene family (RAB)
• Receptor accessory proteins (REEP)
• Receptor (G protein-coupled) activity modifying proteins (RAMP)
• Receptor transporter proteins (RTP)
• Regulator of G-protein signalling genes (RGS)
• Relaxin family peptide receptors (RXFP)
• RetNet (Retinal Information Network)
• Ribosomal proteins (RPS)
  • RPG (Ribosomal Protein Gene Database)
• RING-type zinc fingers (RNF)
• RNA (Non-protein-coding)
• Sodium channels (SCN)
• Secretoglobins (SCGB)
• Secreted frizzled-related proteins (SFRP)
  • FRP/FrzB genes and interactions with Wnts HGNC approved
• Semaphorins (SEMA)
• Serine (or cysteine) proteinase inhibitors (SERPIN)
• Sialic acid binding Ig-like lectins (SIGLEC)
  • Biochemistry and Biology of the Siglec Family HGNC approved
• Sideroflexins (SFXN)
• SMAD, mothers against DPP homologs (SMAD)
• Solute carrier superfamily members (SLC)
  • SLC Tables HGNC approved
• Structural maintenance of chromosomes proteins (SMC)
• Snail homologs (SNAI)
• Small nucleolar RNAs
  • small nucleolar RNA, H/ACA box containing (SNORA)
  • small nucleolar RNA, C/D box containing (SNORD)
  • small Cajal body-spefic RNAs (SCARNA)
• SRY (sex determining region Y)-box genes (SOX)
• Sulfotransferase family, cytosolic (SULT)
• Sulfotransferase family, membrane-bound
• Suppressor of cytokine signaling genes (SOCS)
• Taste receptors (TAS#R)
• T-box gene family (TBX)
• T cell receptors (TR)
  • H-InvDB Gene Families/Groups: T-cell receptor
• Teashirt family zinc fingers (TSHZ)
• THO complex genes (THOC)
• Trace amine associated receptors (TAAR)
• TRANSFAC (Transcription Factor database)
• Transfer RNA, cytoplasmic (TRNA)
• Transient receptor potential cation channels (TRP)
• Trinucleotide (CAG) repeat containing genes (TNRC)
• Tripartite motif-containing family (TRIM)
• Tubulins (TUB)
• Tumor necrosis factor (ligand) superfamily (TNFSF)
• Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF)
• Two pore segment channels (TPCN)
• Ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzymes (UBA)
• Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes E2 (UBE2)
• Ubiquitin-specific peptidases (USP)
• UDP glucuronosyl transferases (UGT)
  • UDP Glucuronosyltransferase home page
• Voltage gated ion channels
  • The IUPHAR Compendium of Voltage-gated Ion Channels 2005
• Vomeronasal 1 receptors (VN1R)
• Vomeronasal 2 receptors (VN2R)
• WD repeat domain genes (WDR)
  • The WD repeat Family of Proteins
• Wingless-type MMTV integration site family (WNT)
  • The Wnt Homepage
• WNT Nomenclature HGNC approved
• WW, C2 and coiled-coil domain containing genes (WWC)
• X-linked mental retardation
  • XLMR Genes
• Yip1 domain family (YIPF)
• Zinc fingers, BED-type (ZBED)
• Zinc fingers, C₂H₂ and BTB domain containing (ZBTB)
• Zinc fingers, CCHC domain containing (ZCCHC)
• Zinc fingers, C₂H₂-type (ZNF)
  • kruppel-type zinc finger gene catolog
• Zinc fingers, DHHC-type (ZDHHC)
• Zinc fingers, FYVE-type (ZFYVE)
• Zinc fingers, HIT-type (ZNHIT)
• Zinc fingers, matrin-type (ZMAT)
• Zinc fingers, MYM-type (ZMYM)
• Zinc fingers, MYND-type (ZMYND)
• Zinc fingers, RAN binding-type (ZRANB)
• Zinc fingers, C₂H₂ and SCAN domain containing (ZSCAN)
  • The SCAN Domain Family
• Zinc fingers with KRAB and SCAN domains (ZSCANK)
• Zinc fingers, SWIM-type (ZSWIM)
• Zinc fingers, ZZ-type (ZZZ)

NHGRI
	The work of the HGNC is supported by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) grant P41 HG03345 and Wellcome Trust grant 081979/Z/07/Z.