HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
BMAL2
basic helix-loop-helix ARNT like 2
Chromosome 12 · 12p11.23
NCBI Gene: 56938Ensembl: ENSG00000029153.16HGNC: HGNC:18984UniProt: Q8WYA1
47PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase IIcircadian rhythmRNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA bindingDNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specificdiabetic ketoacidosisplacental retentionoral mucosa leukoplakiacutaneous melanoma
✦AI Summary

BMAL2 (basic helix-loop-helix ARNT like 2) is a circadian clock transcription factor that forms heterodimers with CLOCK to regulate circadian gene expression and cellular metabolism 1. The protein contains a basic helix-loop-helix PAS domain and shows 49% identity to BMAL1, with tissue-specific expression in fetal brain and adult liver 2. BMAL2 functions as part of the positive limb of the circadian transcriptional feedback loop, activating E-box containing promoters and regulating metabolic processes 1. In metabolic contexts, BMAL2 controls adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic adaptation, with deletion leading to increased obesity, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance 3. The gene shows significant disease relevance, as polymorphisms are associated with type 2 diabetes risk in obese individuals 4 and breast cancer susceptibility 5. In cancer, BMAL2 promotes drug resistance and metastasis through multiple mechanisms: enhancing 5-fluorouracil resistance in colon cancer by upregulating SLC7A11 to suppress ferroptosis 6, promoting nasopharyngeal carcinoma invasiveness via the AMOTL2-LATS-YAP pathway 7, and driving acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation through HIF1A-mediated aerobic glycolysis 8. Additionally, BMAL2 promotes macrophage endotoxin tolerance during sepsis through TREM-1-dependent mechanisms 1.

Sources cited
1
BMAL2 forms heterodimers with CLOCK and promotes macrophage endotoxin tolerance through TREM-1
PMID: 38938563
2
BMAL2 contains bHLH-PAS domain, shows 49% identity to BMAL1, and is expressed in fetal brain and adult liver
PMID: 10964693
3
BMAL2 deletion leads to increased obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance
PMID: 40983272
4
BMAL2 polymorphisms are associated with type 2 diabetes risk in obese Japanese individuals
PMID: 26497775
5
BMAL2 is identified as a candidate breast cancer risk variant
PMID: 28109907
6
BMAL2 promotes 5-fluorouracil resistance in colon cancer by upregulating SLC7A11 to suppress ferroptosis
PMID: 40753759
7
BMAL2 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma invasiveness through suppressing AMOTL2-LATS-YAP pathway
PMID: 38956029
8
BMAL2 promotes acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation through HIF1A-mediated aerobic glycolysis
PMID: 38660843
Disease Associationsⓘ20
diabetic ketoacidosisOpen Targets
0.26Weak
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.25Weak
oral mucosa leukoplakiaOpen Targets
0.24Weak
cutaneous melanomaOpen Targets
0.20Weak
glaucomaOpen Targets
0.12Weak
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
nonpapillary renal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
nasopharyngeal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
papillary thyroid carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
pulmonary vascular congestionOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
pachyonychia congenitaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
NPAS2Protein interaction100%CRY2Protein interaction100%CSNK1EProtein interaction100%PER2Protein interaction100%TIMELESSProtein interaction100%CIPCProtein interaction86%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Liver
65%
Bone Marrow
64%
Lung
31%
Heart
19%
Ovary
5%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
BMAL2NPAS2CRY2CSNK1EPER2TIMELESSCIPC
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB2KDK · NMR
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.83LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.61 [0.46–0.83]
RankingsWhere BMAL2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,177of 20,598
    Most Researched47
  • #7,098of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.83
Genes detectedBMAL2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
BMAL2 controls adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic adaptation during obesity.
PMID: 40983272
Metabolism · 2026
1.00
2
BMAL2 promotes eCIRP-induced macrophage endotoxin tolerance.
PMID: 38938563
Front Immunol · 2024
0.90
3
Clock gene ARNTL2 enhances 5-fluorouracil resistance in colon cancer by upregulating SLC7A11 to suppress ferroptosis.
PMID: 40753759
Redox Biol · 2025
0.80
4
Circadian gene variants and breast cancer.
PMID: 28109907
Cancer Lett · 2017
0.70
5
The circadian gene ARNTL2 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma invasiveness and metastasis through suppressing AMOTL2-LATS-YAP pathway.
PMID: 38956029
Cell Death Dis · 2024
0.60