OLIG2: Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2
A key regulator of oligodendrocyte development and central nervous system patterning
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | OLIG2 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2 |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 21q22.11 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 10215 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/10215 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000177464 |
| UniProt ID | Q13516 |
| OMIM ID | 606386 |
| HGNC ID | 8056 |
| Aliases | BHLHB1, PRKCBP2, RACK17, bHLHe19 |
Description
OLIG2 encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor essential for the specification and differentiation of oligodendrocytes and motor neurons in the developing central nervous system. It is a key regulator of ventral spinal cord patterning and is frequently overexpressed in gliomas, particularly oligodendrogliomas.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Oligodendroglioma | OLIG2 overexpression drives tumorigenesis by maintaining a progenitor-like state in glial cells | COSMIC, ClinVar |
| Glioblastoma multiforme | OLIG2 is expressed in glioma stem cells and promotes tumor growth and invasion | COSMIC, NCBI |
| Central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumor | OLIG2 expression is associated with neural progenitor cell identity | NCBI, OMIM |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.5 | High |
| Spinal cord | 8.3 | Medium |
| Testis | 0.2 | Low |
| Heart | 0.1 | Not detected |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| U-87 MG (glioblastoma) | 15.2 | High expression |
| T98G (glioblastoma) | 10.8 | High expression |
| SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma) | 2.1 | Low expression |
| HEK293 (embryonic kidney) | 0.0 | Not detected |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.94C>T (p.Arg32Trp) | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown functional effect |
| c.167G>A (p.Gly56Asp) | Missense | <0.1% | Unknown functional effect |
| Amplification | Copy number gain | 5-10% in gliomas | Increased OLIG2 expression, oncogenic |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
No confirmed loss-of-function mutations reported in human disease.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Amplification and overexpression in gliomas suggest gain-of-function oncogenic activity.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not described for OLIG2.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • DNA-binding transcription factor activity | • RNA polymerase II cis-regulatory region sequence-specific DNA binding |
| • regulation of cell differentiation | • oligodendrocyte differentiation |
| • central nervous system development | • positive regulation of transcription by RNA polymerase II |
Pathways
• Oligodendrocyte specification
• Motor neuron differentiation
• Notch signaling pathway
• Wnt signaling pathway
Protein Summary
OLIG2 is a 323-amino acid bHLH transcription factor that forms homodimers or heterodimers with other bHLH proteins. It binds to E-box sequences in target gene promoters to regulate neurogenesis and gliogenesis. In the adult brain, OLIG2 is expressed in oligodendrocyte precursor cells and is reactivated in gliomas, where it promotes stemness and proliferation.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OLIG2 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ3320 | Human | 10215 | Details Get a Quote |
| OLIG2 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ55348 | Human | 10215 | Details Get a Quote |
| OLIG2 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ63828 | Human | 10215 | Details Get a Quote |
| OLIG2 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ72289 | Human | 10215 | Details Get a Quote |
