Plasminogen Activator, Urokinase
PLAUgenePLAU encodes urokinase, a serine protease that degrades fibrin and extracellular matrix, contributing to fibrous-cap rupture and thrombus formation.
Pathway placement
Cascade stepFibrous-cap degradation & rupture
Confidencehigh
RationaleUrokinase drives fibrin degradation and ECM remodeling during cap rupture.
Also acts inCoagulation / thrombus
Druggability
DruggableYes
Known drugs / candidates1
Small-molecule tractableYes
Antibody tractableYes
EnsemblENSG00000122861
Type I vs Type II discrimination
ScoresLow-confidence (proxy)
R — rupture / Type-I52
C — confounder / Type-II52
A — assay feasibility52
E — evidence strength22
T1DI (composite)6
Specificity differential (R−C)+0.4
Confounder panel (Type-II drivers)
No confounder evidence retrieved.
Tier: light (literature co-occurrence proxy — lower confidence). See the discrimination table for all markers.
Assay & specimen
Class-level default (no specific cleared assay)— generic method inferred from analyte class; confirm against a specific product insert before use.
Specimen
Whole blood — gene is not a circulating analyte; measure protein product or genotype
Collection tube
K2-EDTA whole blood (lavender-top)
Method / principle
SNP genotyping / sequencing; or immunoassay of encoded protein
Reagent / substrate
Allele-specific primers/probes (TaqMan) or NGS panel; or antibody for protein
Platform
qPCR / NGS / array
Turnaround · availability
Send-out · Genotyping widely available; protein assay variable
Human genetic evidence
0.491
Open Targets association (myocardial_infarction)
Literature evidence(2)
- Identification of Key Genes as Early Warning Signals of Acute Myocardial Infarction Based on Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis and Dynamic Network Biomarker Algorithm.Frontiers in immunology · 2022 · PMID 35795669 · doi
- Hemostasis and malignancy.Seminars in thrombosis and hemostasis · 1998 · PMID 9579631 · doi