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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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PLA2G12A
phospholipase A2 group XIIA
Chromosome 4 · 4q25
NCBI Gene: 81579Ensembl: ENSG00000123739.12HGNC: HGNC:18554UniProt: Q542Y6
27PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingA2-type glycerophospholipase activityextracellular regionarachidonate secretionage-related macular degenerationwet macular degenerationneurodegenerative diseaseCOVID-19
✦AI Summary

PLA2G12A encodes a secreted phospholipase A2 group XIIA that catalyzes calcium-dependent hydrolysis of 2-acyl groups in phosphoglycerides 1. While enzymatic activity was traditionally considered its primary function, recent evidence indicates PLA2G12A operates through non-enzymatic mechanisms in metabolic regulation. Hepatic overexpression of PLA2G12A protects against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance by increasing energy expenditure and physical activity, independent of catalytic activity 1. The mechanism involves upregulation of ApoC2 and Cd36, enhancing triglyceride clearance and hepatic fatty acid uptake 1. Genome-wide association studies identified PLA2G12A as an insulin resistance locus that improves insulin sensitivity through arachidonic acid liberation 2. Clinically, PLA2G12A represents a novel therapeutic target for metabolic diseases. Low PLA2G12A expression serves as a prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer, correlating with poor recurrence-free and overall survival; PLA2G12A deficiency promotes cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion 3. It functions as a lipid-related diagnostic biomarker for acute myocardial infarction, identified through machine learning analysis of lipid metabolism genes 4. Additionally, PLA2G12A polymorphisms influence schizophrenia susceptibility in Han Chinese populations 56, and rs2285714 shows suggestive association with anti-VEGF treatment response in macular degeneration 7.

Sources cited
1
PLA2G12A protects against obesity and insulin resistance through increased energy expenditure and triglyceride clearance via ApoC2/Cd36 upregulation, independent of enzymatic activity
PMID: 38703030
2
PLA2G12A identified as insulin resistance locus that improves insulin sensitivity through arachidonic acid liberation
PMID: 39277575
3
Low PLA2G12A expression correlates with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer and promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion
PMID: 37446068
4
PLA2G12A identified as lipid-related diagnostic biomarker for acute myocardial infarction through machine learning analysis
PMID: 36863716
5
PLA2G12A SNPs and haplotypes associated with schizophrenia susceptibility in Han Chinese population
PMID: 27434078
6
PLA2G12A rs3087494 polymorphism associated with schizophrenia susceptibility in southern Chinese Han population
PMID: 29527719
7
PLA2G12A rs2285714 polymorphism shows suggestive association with response to anti-VEGF therapy in age-related macular degeneration
PMID: 23112570
Disease Associationsⓘ20
age-related macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.40Moderate
wet macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.33Weak
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.33Weak
COVID-19Open Targets
0.30Weak
macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.28Weak
atrophic macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.22Weak
dry age related macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
schizophreniaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
obesityOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
ThrombocytopeniaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
acute myocardial infarctionOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
degeneration of macula and posterior poleOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
ovarian carcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
COVID-19–associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adultsOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
Insulin resistanceOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
ALOX5Protein interaction96%PLA2G1BProtein interaction96%PLA2G7Protein interaction96%PLA2G10Protein interaction96%CEPT1Protein interaction96%PLD3Protein interaction96%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Heart
90%
Brain
87%
Ovary
65%
Lung
42%
Bone Marrow
25%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
PLA2G12AALOX5PLA2G1BPLA2G7PLA2G10CEPT1PLD3
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q542Y6
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.31LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.75 [0.45–1.31]
RankingsWhere PLA2G12A stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #12,643of 20,598
    Most Researched27
  • #13,820of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.31
Genes detectedPLA2G12A
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
PLA2G12A protects against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance by enhancing energy expenditure and clearance of circulating triglycerides.
PMID: 38703030
FASEB J · 2024
1.00
2
ACSL1, CH25H, GPCPD1, and PLA2G12A as the potential lipid-related diagnostic biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction.
PMID: 36863716
Aging (Albany NY) · 2023
0.90
3
Gene profiling of human VEGF signaling pathways in human endothelial and retinal pigment epithelial cells after anti VEGF treatment.
PMID: 25201034
BMC Res Notes · 2014
0.80
4
Association between PLA2G12A polymorphism and patients with schizophrenia in a southern Chinese Han population.
PMID: 29527719
Hum Psychopharmacol · 2018
0.70
5
Genome-wide discovery and integrative genomic characterization of insulin resistance loci using serum triglycerides to HDL-cholesterol ratio as a proxy.
PMID: 39277575
Nat Commun · 2024
0.60