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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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ST3GAL2
ST3 beta-galactoside alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase 2
Chromosome 16 · 16q22.1
NCBI Gene: 6483Ensembl: ENSG00000157350.14HGNC: HGNC:10863UniProt: B3KXG9
27PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
beta-galactoside (CMP) alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase activityprotein homodimerization activitybeta-D-galactosyl-(1->3)-N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminide alpha-2,3- sialyltransferase activityganglioside biosynthetic processCOVID-19severe acute respiratory syndromeplacenta praeviaventricular fibrillation
✦AI Summary

ST3GAL2 encodes a sialyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid to galactose residues in α-2,3 linkage, primarily targeting gangliosides and glycoproteins 1. This enzyme plays essential roles in multiple biological processes including melanoma maintenance, where ST3GAL2 and ST3GAL1 are upregulated and required for tumor growth by stabilizing glycoproteins like CD98hc through sialylation 1. In hematopoiesis, ST3GAL2 functions alongside ST3GAL1 in O-linked glycan sialylation of key hematopoietic markers including CD34, CD43, and platelet glycoproteins, with their coordinated expression being crucial for megakaryocyte proplatelet formation 2. The enzyme is critical for brain development and function, as ST3GAL2/ST3GAL3 double-null mice exhibit severe dysmyelination, reduced myelin proteins, impaired motor coordination, and cognitive disability 3. Metabolically, ST3GAL2 knockout mice develop late-onset obesity and insulin resistance due to altered ganglioside profiles in adipose tissue affecting insulin receptor sensitivity 4. Clinically, ST3GAL2 expression patterns are associated with cancer progression in various malignancies including oral squamous cell carcinoma 5, prostate cancer 6, and chr16 myeloid leukemia 7, making it a potential therapeutic target and biomarker.

Sources cited
1
ST3GAL2 is essential for melanoma maintenance and stabilizes CD98hc through α-2,3-sialylation
PMID: 40614178
2
ST3GAL2 functions in O-linked glycan sialylation during hematopoiesis and megakaryocyte development
PMID: 35507766
3
ST3GAL2 is critical for brain development, with knockout mice showing dysmyelination and cognitive deficits
PMID: 25846372
4
ST3GAL2 knockout mice develop late-onset obesity and insulin resistance due to altered ganglioside profiles
PMID: 27683310
5
ST3GAL2 expression is associated with oral cancer progression and metastasis
PMID: 31747460
6
ST3GAL2 is associated with MUC1 expression and negatively correlated with androgen receptor in prostate cancer
PMID: 39718721
7
Altered ST3GAL2 expression is associated with imatinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia
PMID: 34275666
Disease Associationsⓘ20
COVID-19Open Targets
0.46Moderate
severe acute respiratory syndromeOpen Targets
0.37Weak
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.16Weak
ventricular fibrillationOpen Targets
0.15Weak
Graves diseaseOpen Targets
0.15Weak
melanomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
osteoarthritis, kneeOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hypertensionOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteoarthritis, hipOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hyperlipidemiaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Glanzmann thrombasthenia 1Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Beta-thalassemia - X-linked thrombocytopeniaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
beta-thalassemia-X-linked thrombocytopenia syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Von Willebrand diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
metabolic diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Congenital factor II deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
reticular dysgenesisOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
severe combined immunodeficiency due to CARD11 deficiencyOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
C1GALT1Protein interaction98%C1GALT1C1Protein interaction97%B3GALT5Protein interaction96%GCNT3Protein interaction96%GCNT4Protein interaction95%FUT1Protein interaction94%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Liver
86%
Bone Marrow
69%
Ovary
69%
Heart
66%
Brain
62%
Gene Interaction Network
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ST3GAL2C1GALT1C1GALT1C1B3GALT5GCNT3GCNT4FUT1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q16842
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.62LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.34Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.41 [0.27–0.62]
RankingsWhere ST3GAL2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #12,685of 20,598
    Most Researched27
  • #4,313of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.62 · top quartile
Genes detectedST3GAL2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Unveiling the key genes, environmental toxins, and drug exposures in modulating the severity of ulcerative colitis: a comprehensive analysis.
PMID: 37539055
Front Immunol · 2023
1.00
2
Integrated in vivo functional screens and multiomics analyses identify α-2,3-sialylation as essential for melanoma maintenance.
PMID: 40614178
Sci Adv · 2025
0.90
3
Overlapping and unique substrate specificities of ST3GAL1 and 2 during hematopoietic and megakaryocytic differentiation.
PMID: 35507766
Blood Adv · 2022
0.80
4
Mice lacking sialyltransferase ST3Gal-II develop late-onset obesity and insulin resistance.
PMID: 27683310
Glycobiology · 2017
0.70
5
Sialylation regulates brain structure and function.
PMID: 25846372
FASEB J · 2015
0.60