HomeAboutRankingsData Sources
© 2026 GeneE
🧬
GeneE
5 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
ⓘGeneE is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
TYW2
tRNA wybutosine-synthesizing protein 2
Chromosome 8 · 8q24.13
NCBI Gene: 55039Ensembl: ENSG00000183665.5HGNC: HGNC:26091UniProt: Q53H54
16PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingtRNA methyltransferase activitytRNA methylationwybutosine biosynthetic processprostate carcinomahead and neck squamous cell carcinomacolorectal cancerbreast cancer
✦AI Summary

TYW2 is an S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase that catalyzes a critical step in wybutosine biosynthesis, specifically transferring the alpha-amino-alpha-carboxypropyl group to 4-demethylwyosine at position 37 of phenylalanine tRNA 1. Wybutosine is a hypermodified guanosine essential for stabilizing codon-anticodon interactions during ribosomal translation 1. TYW2 functions as a component of a multi-enzyme complex catalyzing sequential biosynthetic reactions 1. In cancer biology, TYW2 plays a paradoxical role. TYW2 loss or epigenetic silencing occurs in colorectal and other cancers, leading to hypomodification of tRNAPhe and increased ribosomal frameshifting events 2. This frameshift-induced translational dysregulation generates immunogenic out-of-frame peptides that enhance tumor immunogenicity and sensitivity to PD-1 checkpoint blockade 3. Conversely, TYW2 downregulation promotes taxol resistance in cancer cells by accumulating the precursor 4-demethylwyosine 4. TYW2 epigenetic inactivation correlates with poor overall survival in early-stage colorectal cancer and enhanced cellular migration properties 2. These findings reveal that TYW2-mediated tRNA modification represents a novel axis in cancer immunotherapy and chemotherapy resistance.

Sources cited
1
TYW2 catalyzes wybutosine biosynthesis via sequential enzymatic reactions; wybutosine stabilizes codon-anticodon interactions
PMID: 16642040
2
TYW2 promoter hypermethylation in colorectal cancer causes tRNAPhe hypomodification, ribosome frameshifting, and poor patient survival
PMID: 32778592
3
TYW2 knockout increases immunogenic out-of-frame peptides and enhances PD-1 checkpoint blockade sensitivity
PMID: 40154482
4
TYW2 downregulation causes 4-demethylwyosine accumulation and promotes taxol resistance in cancer cells
PMID: 33290562
5
Human TYW2 contains conserved residues (K225, E265) critical for enzymatic activity and AdoMet interaction
PMID: 22761755
Disease Associationsⓘ20
prostate carcinomaOpen Targets
0.40Weak
head and neck squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
endocarditisOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
Barrett's esophagusOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
acute tonsillitisOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
HypercholesterolemiaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
colorectal neoplasmOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.02Suggestive
lymph node metastatic carcinomaOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
human papilloma virus infectionOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
breast neoplasmOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
COVID-19Open Targets
0.00Suggestive
hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, familial, 4Open Targets
0.00Suggestive
ovarian cancerOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
squamous cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
LCMT2Protein interaction89%TRMT112Protein interaction89%TYW1Protein interaction88%TRMT10AProtein interaction84%TYW3Protein interaction80%BUD23Protein interaction75%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Heart
100%
Lung
71%
Brain
65%
Liver
60%
Ovary
56%
Bone Marrow
48%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
TYW2LCMT2TRMT112TYW1TRMT10ATYW3BUD23
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q53H54
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.84LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.64Intermediate
Observed/Expected LoF0.27 [0.11–0.84]
RankingsWhere TYW2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #15,431of 20,598
    Most Researched16
  • #7,179of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.84
Genes detectedTYW2
Sources retrieved5 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
5
1
Translation dysregulation in cancer as a source for targetable antigens.
PMID: 40154482
Cancer Cell · 2025
1.00
2
The nature of the modification at position 37 of tRNAPhe correlates with acquired taxol resistance.
PMID: 33290562
Nucleic Acids Res · 2021
0.80
3
Structure-function analysis of human TYW2 enzyme required for the biosynthesis of a highly modified Wybutosine (yW) base in phenylalanine-tRNA.
PMID: 22761755
PLoS One · 2012
0.60
4
Epigenetic loss of the transfer RNA-modifying enzyme TYW2 induces ribosome frameshifts in colon cancer.
PMID: 32778592
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2020
0.40
5
Biosynthesis of wybutosine, a hyper-modified nucleoside in eukaryotic phenylalanine tRNA.
PMID: 16642040
EMBO J · 2006
0.20