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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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SOAT2
sterol O-acyltransferase 2
Chromosome 12 · 12q13.13
NCBI Gene: 8435Ensembl: ENSG00000167780.13HGNC: HGNC:11178UniProt: O75908
58PubMed Papers
20Diseases
1Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
CLINICAL
Clinical Trials
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
sterol O-acyltransferase activityendoplasmic reticulumbrush borderprotein bindingarteriosclerosisatherosclerosiscoronary artery diseaseneoplasm
✦AI Summary

SOAT2 (sterol O-acyltransferase 2) is an endoplasmic reticulum membrane enzyme that catalyzes cholesterol esterification, playing a critical role in cholesterol homeostasis and lipid metabolism 12. The enzyme's active site is located on the luminal side of the ER, making it less accessible to certain inhibitors compared to SOAT1 3. SOAT2 functions in cholesterol metabolic processes, very-low-density lipoprotein particle assembly, and cholesterol efflux 24. In disease contexts, SOAT2 demonstrates significant clinical relevance across multiple pathological conditions. Overexpression occurs in regulatory T cells from elderly cancer patients, where it promotes cholesterol metabolism through the SREBP2-HMGCR-GGPP pathway, leading to enhanced immunosuppressive functions and reduced anti-tumor immunity 2. In hepatocellular carcinoma, SOAT2 is regulated by NSUN2-mediated RNA methylation and contributes to immune evasion and metabolic reprogramming 5. Additionally, SOAT2 is involved in acute pancreatitis pathogenesis through ferroptosis regulation 1. Clinically, SOAT2 serves as a prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma and a potential therapeutic target, with selective inhibitors showing promise in treating acute pancreatitis 146.

Sources cited
1
SOAT2 is an ER enzyme involved in cholesterol homeostasis and ferroptosis regulation in acute pancreatitis
PMID: 38376541
2
SOAT2 overexpression in regulatory T cells promotes cholesterol metabolism and immunosuppression in cancer
PMID: 39805872
3
SOAT2 active site is located on the luminal side of the ER membrane
PMID: 28646165
4
SOAT2 serves as a prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma
PMID: 40533802
5
SOAT2 is regulated by NSUN2-mediated RNA methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma
PMID: 40227950
6
Selective SOAT2 inhibitors have been developed with therapeutic potential
PMID: 27876317
Disease Associationsⓘ20
arteriosclerosisOpen Targets
0.18Weak
atherosclerosisOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
coronary artery diseaseOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
laryngeal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Hyperlipoproteinemia type 1Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis due to citrin deficiencyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Congenital bile acid synthesis defect type 1Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
congenital disorder of glycosylation type IIOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
familial hypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Congenital chronic diarrhea with protein-losing enteropathyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
congenital diarrhea 7 with exudative enteropathyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
DiarrheaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
glycogen storage disease VIOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasisOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
cholesteryl ester storage diseaseOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
familial apolipoprotein C-II deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
hypertriglyceridemia 2Open Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets1
PACTIMIBEPhase II/III
Acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase 1 inhibitor
arteriosclerosis
Related Genes
LCATProtein interaction98%CH25HProtein interaction97%CYP46A1Protein interaction95%CYP27A1Protein interaction86%VPS52Protein interaction86%IGFBP6Protein interaction84%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Bone Marrow
17%
Ovary
14%
Lung
10%
Brain
1%
Heart
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
SOAT2LCATCH25HCYP46A1CYP27A1VPS52IGFBP6
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB7N6Q · 3.87 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.40LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.17 [0.99–1.40]
RankingsWhere SOAT2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #7,919of 20,598
    Most Researched58
  • #14,526of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.40
Genes detectedSOAT2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Elucidating the mechanism of phthalates induced osteoporosis through network toxicology and molecular docking.
PMID: 39884015
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf · 2025
1.00
2
Increased SOAT2 expression in aged regulatory T cells is associated with altered cholesterol metabolism and reduced anti-tumor immunity.
PMID: 39805872
Nat Commun · 2025
0.90
3
Novel molecular mechanisms of immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma: NSUN2-mediated increase of SOAT2 RNA methylation.
PMID: 40227950
Cancer Commun (Lond) · 2025
0.80
4
The impact of de novo lipogenesis on predicting survival and clinical therapy: an exploration based on a multigene prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma.
PMID: 40533802
J Transl Med · 2025
0.70
5
Soat2 inhibitor avasimibe alleviates acute pancreatitis by suppressing acinar cell ferroptosis.
PMID: 38376541
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol · 2024
0.60