TET2 Gene: Function, Mutations, and Associated Diseases

A comprehensive overview of the TET2 gene, its role in epigenetic regulation, clinical significance in myeloid malignancies, and expression patterns.

Gene Information Card

Symbol TET2
Full Name Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2
Gene Type Protein coding
Chromosomal Location 4q24
NCBI Gene ID 54790 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/54790
Ensembl ID ENSG00000168769
UniProt ID Q6N021
OMIM ID 612839
HGNC ID 25941
Aliases KIAA1546, MDS, FLJ20032

Description

The TET2 gene encodes a member of the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family of methylcytosine dioxygenases. These enzymes catalyze the conversion of 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) and further oxidation products, playing a critical role in DNA demethylation and epigenetic regulation. TET2 is a tumor suppressor frequently mutated in various hematological malignancies, including myeloid leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. Mutations lead to loss of function, contributing to aberrant DNA methylation and hematopoietic dysregulation.

Disease Associations

Disease category Pathophysiological mechanism Genomic evidence
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) Loss-of-function mutations reduce 5-hmC levels, leading to aberrant DNA methylation and impaired hematopoietic differentiation. Somatic mutations in ~20-25% of MDS cases (COSMIC, ClinVar).
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Inactivating mutations disrupt normal hematopoiesis, promoting leukemogenesis through epigenetic dysregulation. Found in ~10-20% of AML cases (COSMIC, ClinVar).
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) Mutations impair TET2 enzymatic activity, contributing to monocytic proliferation and disease progression. Present in ~40-50% of CMML cases (COSMIC, ClinVar).
Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) Somatic TET2 mutations in hematopoietic stem cells confer a fitness advantage, leading to clonal expansion without overt malignancy. Detected in healthy individuals, increasing with age (ClinVar).

Expression Profile

Tissue Expression
Tissue nTPM level
Bone Marrow High High expression in hematopoietic tissues.
Spleen High High expression in immune cells.
Lymph Node High High expression in lymphoid tissues.
Blood Medium Moderate expression in peripheral blood cells.
Brain Low Low expression in brain tissues.
Liver Low Low expression in liver.
Cell Line Expression
Cell Line nTPM Notes
K-562 (CML) High Chronic myeloid leukemia cell line.
HL-60 (AML) High Acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line.
MOLT-4 (ALL) Medium T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line.
HeLa (Cervical Cancer) Low Low expression in non-hematopoietic cell line.
A549 (Lung Cancer) Low Low expression in epithelial cell line.
Data source:Human Protein Atlas(proteinatlas.org)

Mutations & Variants

Hotspot Mutations
Variant Type Frequency Functional Description
c.4504C>T (p.Arg1502*) Nonsense ~5% in myeloid malignancies Truncating mutation leading to loss of catalytic domain.
c.3920_3921del (p.Leu1307fs) Frameshift ~3% in MDS Frameshift causing premature stop codon.
c.5161C>T (p.Arg1721Trp) Missense ~2% in AML Affects catalytic activity.
c.5649_5650insA (p.Leu1884fs) Insertion ~2% in CMML Insertion leading to frameshift.
Mutation functional classification

Loss of Function (LOF)

Most TET2 mutations are loss-of-function, reducing or abolishing enzymatic activity and decreasing 5-hmC levels.

Gain of Function (GOF)

No gain-of-function mutations have been reported; TET2 acts as a tumor suppressor.

Dominant Negative (DN)

Some missense mutations may exert dominant-negative effects by interfering with wild-type TET2 dimerization, but evidence is limited.

Gene Ontology (GO)

• DNA binding • Metal ion binding
• Oxidoreductase activity • Dioxygenase activity
• Chromatin binding • Regulation of DNA methylation
• Cellular response to DNA damage stimulus

Pathways

DNA demethylation
Epigenetic regulation
Hematopoietic stem cell differentiation
Cancer pathways

Protein Summary

The TET2 protein is a 2002-amino acid enzyme that belongs to the TET family. It contains a C-terminal catalytic domain that requires iron (Fe2+) and 2-oxoglutarate as cofactors to oxidize 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. TET2 is involved in maintaining DNA methylation homeostasis and gene expression regulation. It is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells and plays a crucial role in normal blood cell development. Loss of TET2 function due to mutations is a key event in the pathogenesis of various myeloid malignancies.

Related Products

Product name Cat.No. Species Gene ID
TET2 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line EDJ-KQ17907 Human 54790 Details Get a Quote
TET2 Knockout A-549 Cell Line EDJ-KQ20037 Human 54790 Details Get a Quote
TET2 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line EDJ-KQ20038 Human 54790 Details Get a Quote
TET2 Knockout HeLa Cell Line EDJ-KQ20039 Human 54790 Details Get a Quote
TET2 Knockout THP-1 Cell Line EDJ-KZ503 Human 54790 Details Get a Quote
Displaying Records 1 To 5 Of 5 Records
Contact Us
*
*
*
*
How did you hear about us: