HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
TCF15
transcription factor 15
Chromosome 20 · 20p13
NCBI Gene: 6939Ensembl: ENSG00000125878.7HGNC: HGNC:11627UniProt: A4LBB6
12PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transcription Factor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
nuclear specknucleuschromatinnegative regulation of hematopoietic stem cell differentiationalcohol drinkingexhaustionpneumonitistype 1 diabetes mellitus
✦AI Summary

TCF15 (transcription factor 15) is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that plays crucial roles in early embryonic development and tissue-specific gene regulation 1. The gene consists of two exons separated by a 5-kb intron and is located on chromosome 20 1. TCF15 functions by forming heterodimers with other bHLH proteins, such as MEOX2, to regulate transcription of target genes through E-box DNA binding motifs 2. In cardiovascular biology, MEOX2/TCF15 heterodimers are highly expressed in heart capillary endothelial cells where they regulate fatty acid transport by controlling expression of CD36 and lipoprotein lipase, facilitating fatty acid uptake and transfer to cardiomyocytes 2. Combined haplodeficiency of both genes impairs cardiac contractility, highlighting their clinical significance 2. During embryonic development, TCF15 is essential for paraxial mesoderm formation and axis extension, with cis-regulatory elements controlling its spatiotemporal expression during somitogenesis 3. Genetic variation in MEOX2, but interestingly not TCF15, has been associated with coronary heart disease risk in population studies 4. TCF15 expression is also dysregulated in various pathological conditions including preterm birth 5 and colorectal cancer, where it functions as part of epithelial-mesenchymal transition regulatory networks 6.

Sources cited
1
TCF15 is a bHLH transcription factor with two-exon gene structure located on chromosome 20p13
PMID: 8825648
2
MEOX2/TCF15 heterodimers regulate fatty acid transport in heart endothelial cells and cardiac contractility
PMID: 25561514
3
TCF15 is essential for paraxial mesoderm formation and axis extension during embryonic development
PMID: 33608545
4
Genetic variation in MEOX2 but not TCF15 is associated with coronary heart disease risk
PMID: 26428460
5
TCF15 expression is upregulated in preterm birth
PMID: 35361790
6
TCF15 functions in epithelial-mesenchymal transition networks in colorectal cancer
PMID: 34526059
Disease Associationsⓘ20
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.10Weak
exhaustionOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
pneumonitisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
type 1 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
metatropic dysplasiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen diseaseOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
hypertrophic cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
juvenile dermatomyositisOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
infectionOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
chronic kidney diseaseOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
systemic sclerodermaOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
FibroadenomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
breast carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Crohn's diseaseOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
intracerebral hemorrhageOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
ovarian cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
MEOX2Protein interaction84%MKXProtein interaction80%FOXC2Protein interaction74%CDH17Protein interaction74%TCF24Shared pathway25%BHLHA9Shared pathway25%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Lung
2%
Brain
1%
Ovary
1%
Liver
1%
Bone Marrow
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TCF15MEOX2MKXFOXC2CDH17TCF24BHLHA9
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q12870
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.96LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.89 [0.92–1.96]
RankingsWhere TCF15 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #16,589of 20,598
    Most Researched12
  • #17,722of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.96
Genes detectedTCF15
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Genomic organization and chromosomal localization of the gene TCF15 encoding the early mesodermal basic helix-loop-helix factor bHLH-EC2.
PMID: 8825648
Genomics · 1995
1.00
2
Meox2/Tcf15 heterodimers program the heart capillary endothelium for cardiac fatty acid uptake.
PMID: 25561514
Circulation · 2015
0.90
3
Coronary risk in relation to genetic variation in MEOX2 and TCF15 in a Flemish population.
PMID: 26428460
BMC Genet · 2015
0.80
4
Saliva as a potential and non-invasive approach to identify upregulated genes associated with comorbidities of T1DM: a brief report.
PMID: 41074104
Eur J Med Res · 2025
0.70
5
Identification of a novel gene signature in second-trimester amniotic fluid for the prediction of preterm birth.
PMID: 35361790
Sci Rep · 2022
0.60