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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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SULF2
sulfatase 2
Chromosome 20 · 20q13.12
NCBI Gene: 55959Ensembl: ENSG00000196562.17HGNC: HGNC:20392UniProt: Q8IWU5
88PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
arylsulfatase activityextracellular regionendoplasmic reticulumpositive regulation of Wnt signaling pathwayosteoarthritis, kneealcohol drinkingsmoking initiationliver disease
✦AI Summary

SULF2 (sulfatase 2) is an extracellular endoglucosamine-6-sulfatase that removes sulfate groups from the C-6 position of glucosamine within heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) 123. This enzymatic activity enables SULF2 to regulate multiple receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathways by modifying HSPG-dependent growth factor availability in the extracellular matrix. SULF2 demonstrates critical roles in tissue development and homeostasis, with differential expression patterns during chondrogenesis and osteogenesis 4. The enzyme shows enriched expression in hypertrophic chondrocytes and differentiating osteoblasts compared to quiescent cells 4. In pathological contexts, SULF2 exhibits significant oncogenic properties across multiple cancer types. It promotes tumor growth through activation of PDGFRα signaling in glioblastoma 5 and modulates glypican-3/β-catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma 6. Cancer-associated fibroblasts secrete SULF2, contributing to immune exhaustion and therapy resistance 6. Additionally, SULF2 participates in vasculoprotective mechanisms as part of a PPARγ-p53 transcriptional complex responding to DNA damage in pulmonary endothelial cells 7. The enzyme's expression serves as a prognostic biomarker in various malignancies, with elevated levels correlating with poor patient outcomes 8.

Sources cited
1
SULF2 exhibits endoglucosamine-6-sulfatase activity and removes sulfate from C-6 position of glucosamine in heparin
PMID: 12368295
2
SULF2 demonstrates highly specific endoglucosamine-6-sulfatase activity
PMID: 30788513
3
SULF2 can remove sulfate from glucosamine within specific heparin subregions
PMID: 35294879
4
SULF2 shows differential expression in chondrocytes and osteoblasts during development and bone healing
PMID: 26464246
5
SULF2 regulates PDGFRα signaling and promotes glioblastoma growth
PMID: 22293178
6
SULF2 from cancer-associated fibroblasts modulates glypican-3/β-catenin signaling and promotes immune exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma
PMID: 36589727
7
SULF2 is part of a PPARγ-p53 vasculoregenerative program in pulmonary endothelial cells
PMID: 33322916
8
SULF2 serves as a prognostic biomarker in adrenocortical carcinoma with elevated expression predicting poor outcomes
PMID: 36852051
Disease Associationsⓘ20
osteoarthritis, kneeOpen Targets
0.48Moderate
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.40Moderate
smoking initiationOpen Targets
0.39Weak
liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
osteoarthritisOpen Targets
0.30Weak
cervical carcinomaOpen Targets
0.30Weak
osteoarthritis, hipOpen Targets
0.29Weak
total knee arthroplastyOpen Targets
0.29Weak
squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.28Weak
head injuryOpen Targets
0.27Weak
joint diseaseOpen Targets
0.27Weak
mononeuropathyOpen Targets
0.20Weak
Sjogren syndromeOpen Targets
0.19Weak
musculoskeletal system diseaseOpen Targets
0.18Weak
hypertrophic cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.18Weak
Abnormality of the gastrointestinal tractOpen Targets
0.17Weak
lymphatic system cancerOpen Targets
0.17Weak
non-Hodgkins lymphomaOpen Targets
0.17Weak
Loss of consciousnessOpen Targets
0.17Weak
preeclampsiaOpen Targets
0.17Weak
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
GPC3Protein interaction76%SULF1Shared pathway72%CTDSPL2Shared pathway21%MYO1EShared pathway12%GPC1Shared pathway12%GFRA1Shared pathway10%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Ovary
100%
Liver
22%
Heart
22%
Bone Marrow
13%
Brain
12%
Lung
11%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
SULF2GPC3SULF1CTDSPL2MYO1EGPC1GFRA1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q8IWU5
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.61LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.48 [0.38–0.61]
RankingsWhere SULF2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #5,446of 20,598
    Most Researched88
  • #4,278of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.61 · top quartile
Genes detectedSULF2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Sulfatase-2 from Cancer Associated Fibroblasts: An Environmental Target for Hepatocellular Carcinoma?
PMID: 36589727
Liver Cancer · 2022
1.00
2
PPARγ-p53-Mediated Vasculoregenerative Program to Reverse Pulmonary Hypertension.
PMID: 33322916
Circ Res · 2021
0.90
3
Sulf2 gene is alternatively spliced in mammalian developing and tumour tissues with functional implications.
PMID: 21968018
Biochem Biophys Res Commun · 2011
0.80
4
Early diagnostic biomarkers for acute myocardial infarction unveiled by metabolomics, Mendelian randomization, and machine learning.
PMID: 41526548
Mol Biomed · 2026
0.70
5
Heparan sulfate sulfatase SULF2 regulates PDGFRα signaling and growth in human and mouse malignant glioma.
PMID: 22293178
J Clin Invest · 2012
0.60