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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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ST6GAL2
ST6 beta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase 2
Chromosome 2 · 2q12.3
NCBI Gene: 84620Ensembl: ENSG00000144057.17HGNC: HGNC:10861UniProt: Q96JF0
16PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
oligosaccharide metabolic processbeta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase activitysialylationGolgi apparatusmathematical abilityintelligencehypertrophic cardiomyopathyhyperpituitarism
✦AI Summary

ST6GAL2 encodes a sialyltransferase enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid from CMP-sialic acid to galactose-containing oligosaccharides, specifically targeting Gal-β-1,4-GlcNAc sequences at non-reducing ends 1. The enzyme exhibits tissue-specific expression, being predominantly expressed in embryonic and adult brain tissues, unlike the ubiquitously expressed ST6GAL1 1. ST6GAL2 transcription is regulated by neuronal-specific factors including Sox5, Puralpha, and Olf1 as activators, while NF-κB and NRSF act as repressors 1. In the adult mouse brain, ST6GAL2 produces primarily α2,6-sialylated O-glycans rather than N-glycans, with disialyl-T antigen and sialyl-(6)T antigen being the major products 2. The enzyme plays significant roles in cancer biology, with elevated ST6GAL2 expression associated with tumor progression in breast cancer and follicular thyroid carcinoma 34. ST6GAL2 promotes cell adhesion, invasion, and metastatic pathways through regulation of molecules like ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and matrix metalloproteinases 3. Additionally, ST6GAL2 participates in immune responses during bacterial infections, contributing to MAPK-mediated inflammatory signaling in intestinal epithelial cells 5.

Sources cited
1
ST6GAL2 catalyzes sialic acid transfer to oligosaccharides and shows brain-specific expression regulated by neuronal transcription factors
PMID: 19768537
2
ST6GAL2 produces primarily α2,6-sialylated O-glycans in adult mouse brain
PMID: 33242079
3
ST6GAL2 is elevated in breast cancer and promotes cell adhesion, invasion, and metastatic pathways
PMID: 32099394
4
ST6GAL2 is overexpressed in follicular thyroid carcinoma and regulated by HCP5 lncRNA
PMID: 29515098
5
ST6GAL2 contributes to MAPK-mediated inflammatory signaling during bacterial infections
PMID: 36646912
Disease Associationsⓘ20
mathematical abilityOpen Targets
0.46Moderate
intelligenceOpen Targets
0.34Weak
hypertrophic cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.30Weak
hyperpituitarismOpen Targets
0.29Weak
osteoarthritisOpen Targets
0.25Weak
musculoskeletal system diseaseOpen Targets
0.25Weak
liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.24Weak
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
complicationOpen Targets
0.18Weak
hemorrhageOpen Targets
0.18Weak
metabolic diseaseOpen Targets
0.17Weak
actinic keratosisOpen Targets
0.17Weak
brain aneurysmOpen Targets
0.17Weak
sprainOpen Targets
0.17Weak
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.16Weak
gangreneOpen Targets
0.15Weak
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.15Weak
ovarian dysfunctionOpen Targets
0.15Weak
polycythemia veraOpen Targets
0.15Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
B4GALT1Protein interaction91%ST6GAL1Protein interaction91%B4GALT3Protein interaction91%B4GALT2Protein interaction91%C20orf173Shared pathway50%ST8SIA5Shared pathway50%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Liver
40%
Bone Marrow
39%
Heart
13%
Ovary
9%
Lung
5%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
ST6GAL2B4GALT1ST6GAL1B4GALT3B4GALT2C20orf173ST8SIA5
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q96JF0
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.98LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.69 [0.49–0.98]
RankingsWhere ST6GAL2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #15,404of 20,598
    Most Researched16
  • #9,322of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.98
Genes detectedST6GAL2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Transcriptional regulation of the human ST6GAL2 gene in cerebral cortex and neuronal cells.
PMID: 19768537
Glycoconj J · 2010
1.00
2
LncRNA HCP5 promotes follicular thyroid carcinoma progression via miRNAs sponge.
PMID: 29515098
Cell Death Dis · 2018
0.90
3
ST6GAL2 Downregulation Inhibits Cell Adhesion and Invasion and is Associated with Improved Patient Survival in Breast Cancer.
PMID: 32099394
Onco Targets Ther · 2020
0.80
4
Majority of alpha2,6-sialylated glycans in the adult mouse brain exist in O-glycans: SALSA-MS analysis for knockout mice of alpha2,6-sialyltransferase genes.
PMID: 33242079
Glycobiology · 2021
0.70
5
Role of ST6GAL1 and ST6GAL2 in subversion of cellular signaling during enteroaggregative Escherichia coli infection of human intestinal epithelial cell lines.
PMID: 36646912
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol · 2023
0.60