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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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SOX12
SRY-box transcription factor 12
Chromosome 20 · 20p13
NCBI Gene: 6666Ensembl: ENSG00000177732.9HGNC: HGNC:11198UniProt: O15370
42PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
sequence-specific double-stranded DNA bindingnucleoplasmDNA-binding transcription factor activity, RNA polymerase II-specificDNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specifictype 2 diabetes mellitushepatocellular carcinomabreast cancerneoplasm
✦AI Summary

SOX12 is a transcriptional activator that plays critical roles in cancer progression and immune regulation. In hepatocellular carcinoma, SOX12 promotes immunosuppression by transcriptionally activating CCL22 to recruit regulatory T-cells and upregulating CD274 (PD-L1) to suppress CD8+ T-cell infiltration, ultimately facilitating tumor metastasis 1. The protein functions as an oncogene across multiple cancer types, including breast cancer where its expression correlates with tumor progression, lymph node metastasis, and poor overall survival 2. In thyroid cancer, SOX12 promotes proliferation and invasion by regulating POU2F1 and POU3F1 expression 3, while in endometrial cancer, it directly binds to and activates PHGDH transcription, enhancing serine synthesis pathways that contribute to tumor metabolism and progression 4. SOX12 also maintains cancer stemness, as demonstrated in gastric cancer where it acts downstream of FOXP4 in the YAP1 signaling pathway 5. Beyond cancer, SOX12 functions redundantly with other SOXC family members to regulate adult bone mass by controlling osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation 6. In acute myeloid leukemia, SOX12 knockdown induces apoptosis through caspase activation 7.

Sources cited
1
SOX12 transcriptionally activates CCL22 and CD274 to promote Treg infiltration and suppress CD8+ T-cells in hepatocellular carcinoma
PMID: 39072947
2
SOX12 expression correlates with tumor progression, metastasis, and poor prognosis in breast cancer
PMID: 33437389
3
SOX12 promotes thyroid cancer proliferation and invasion by regulating POU2F1 and POU3F1 expression
PMID: 35619584
4
SOX12 directly binds PHGDH promoter and enhances serine synthesis pathways in endometrial cancer
PMID: 40379232
5
SOX12 acts downstream of FOXP4 to maintain cancer stemness in gastric cancer
PMID: 39047223
6
SOX12 redundantly regulates adult bone mass by controlling osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation
PMID: 38580651
7
SOX12 knockdown induces apoptosis through caspase activation in acute myeloid leukemia
PMID: 35875337
Disease Associationsⓘ20
type 2 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.33Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.11Weak
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
thyroid cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
papillary thyroid carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
esophageal squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Miyoshi myopathyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
nonpapillary renal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Mantle cell lymphomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
ovarian cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
esophageal cancerOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
colitisOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
GYG1Protein interaction99%GYS1Protein interaction99%NOTOShared pathway33%GSX1Shared pathway33%VAX1Shared pathway33%SOX14Shared pathway33%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Ovary
97%
Bone Marrow
65%
Liver
41%
Heart
39%
Lung
26%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
SOX12GYG1GYS1NOTOGSX1VAX1SOX14
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt O15370
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.89LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.08Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.49 [0.29–0.89]
RankingsWhere SOX12 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,944of 20,598
    Most Researched42
  • #7,977of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.89
Genes detectedSOX12
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
SOX12 Facilitates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression and Metastasis through Promoting Regulatory T-Cells Infiltration and Immunosuppression.
PMID: 39072947
Adv Sci (Weinh) · 2024
1.00
2
The SOX12-YBX1-LDHA signaling axis drives metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma.
PMID: 40593465
Cell Death Dis · 2025
0.90
3
FOXP4 Is a Direct YAP1 Target That Promotes Gastric Cancer Stemness and Drives Metastasis.
PMID: 39047223
Cancer Res · 2024
0.80
4
SOX12 expression is associated with progression and poor prognosis in human breast cancer.
PMID: 33437389
Am J Transl Res · 2020
0.70
5
SOXC are critical regulators of adult bone mass.
PMID: 38580651
Nat Commun · 2024
0.60