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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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MICAL2
microtubule associated monooxygenase, calponin and LIM domain containing 2
Chromosome 11 · 11p15.3
NCBI Gene: 9645Ensembl: ENSG00000133816.21HGNC: HGNC:24693UniProt: O94851
54PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
actin bindingprotein bindingoxidoreductase activitycytoskeleton organizationatrial fibrillationneurodegenerative diseaseDupuytren Contracturevitamin B12 deficiency
✦AI Summary

MICAL2 is a flavin monooxygenase that functions as a redox-regulated actin cytoskeleton modifier with critical roles in cancer progression. As its primary function, MICAL2 catalyzes methionine oxidation of F-actin residues Met-44 and Met-47 to methionine-sulfoxide, promoting actin filament depolymerization and preventing repolymerization 1. The enzyme also regulates branched actin network disassembly by oxidizing ARP2/3 complexes 2. Mechanistically, MICAL2 mediates actin depolymerization-dependent nuclear actin oxidation, increasing MKL1/MRTF-A nuclear availability to enhance SRF:MKL1/MRTF-A-dependent transcription independent of RhoA 1. Regarding disease relevance, MICAL2 is significantly overexpressed in multiple cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer, renal cancer, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, where it promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor growth, and metastasis 345. MICAL2 upregulates KRAS and EMT signaling pathways while activating ERK1/2 and AKT, and its ARG-mediated phosphorylation at Tyr445 and Tyr463 enhances its actin-depolymerizing capacity 35. Clinically, high MICAL2 expression correlates strongly with poor patient prognosis, positioning MICAL2 as a promising therapeutic target 3.

Sources cited
1
MICAL2 oxidizes actin Met-44/Met-47 to promote F-actin depolymerization and regulates SRF transcription via actin-MKL1/MRTF-A pathway
PMID: 24440334
2
MICAL2 regulates branched actin network disassembly by oxidizing ARP2/3 complexes
PMID: 34106209
3
MICAL2 is a super-enhancer-associated gene in pancreatic cancer that promotes tumor growth and metastasis via KRAS/EMT signaling and correlates with poor prognosis
PMID: 39745352
4
MICAL2 is overexpressed in aggressive gastric and renal cancers and regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition involved in cancer progression and metastasis
PMID: 26689989
5
ARG phosphorylates MICAL2 at Tyr445 and Tyr463 to enhance actin depolymerization and promote head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression
PMID: 34750518
Disease Associationsⓘ20
atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.41Moderate
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
Dupuytren ContractureOpen Targets
0.31Weak
vitamin B12 deficiencyOpen Targets
0.30Weak
cervical carcinomaOpen Targets
0.27Weak
bilirubin metabolism diseaseOpen Targets
0.25Weak
foot fractureOpen Targets
0.16Weak
pathological myopiaOpen Targets
0.14Weak
sialolithiasisOpen Targets
0.13Weak
breast ductal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.11Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
cervical cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
nasopharyngeal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
NEDD9Protein interaction86%RAB8AProtein interaction75%PLXNA4Protein interaction75%MICAL3Shared pathway60%DIAPH3Shared pathway33%PRICKLE4Shared pathway33%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Brain
92%
Lung
79%
Liver
38%
Bone Marrow
28%
Ovary
24%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
MICAL2NEDD9RAB8APLXNA4MICAL3DIAPH3PRICKLE4
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB5SZH · 2.30 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.71LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.59 [0.48–0.71]
RankingsWhere MICAL2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #8,336of 20,598
    Most Researched54
  • #5,493of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.71
Genes detectedMICAL2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
MICAL2 Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis.
PMID: 39745352
Cancer Res · 2025
1.00
2
Exosome-like nanovesicles derived from Phellinus linteus inhibit Mical2 expression through cross-kingdom regulation and inhibit ultraviolet-induced skin aging.
PMID: 36271377
J Nanobiotechnology · 2022
0.90
3
MICALs.
PMID: 29738722
Curr Biol · 2018
0.80
4
MICAL2 Is a Super Enhancer Associated Gene that Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis.
PMID: 38979336
bioRxiv · 2024
0.70
5
Glucocorticoids, genes and brain function.
PMID: 29180230
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry · 2018
0.60