ULK2: Unc-51 Like Autophagy Activating Kinase 2
A key serine/threonine kinase in autophagy initiation and cellular stress response
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | ULK2 |
|---|---|
| Full Name | unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 2 |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 17p11.2 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 9706 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/9706 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000183287 |
| UniProt ID | Q8IYT8 |
| OMIM ID | 607568 |
| HGNC ID | 13480 |
| Aliases | ATG1, Unc51.2, KIAA0623 |
Description
ULK2 encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a critical role in the initiation of autophagy. It forms a complex with ATG13, RB1CC1 (FIP200), and ATG101 to regulate autophagosome formation under nutrient deprivation and stress conditions. ULK2 is widely expressed and implicated in cellular homeostasis, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | Dysregulation of ULK2-mediated autophagy may promote tumor survival under metabolic stress | COSMIC; PMID: 25643324 |
| Lung cancer | ULK2 mutations and altered expression linked to autophagy-dependent growth | COSMIC; PMID: 28411320 |
| Neurodegenerative disorders | Impaired ULK2 function may disrupt clearance of aggregated proteins | ClinVar; PMID: 29127255 |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | 12.5 | Medium |
| Heart | 8.3 | Low |
| Liver | 6.1 | Low |
| Kidney | 10.2 | Medium |
| Testis | 15.8 | High |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HEK293 | 14.2 | High expression |
| HeLa | 11.5 | Medium expression |
| A549 | 9.8 | Medium expression |
| MCF7 | 7.3 | Low expression |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| c.1234C>T (p.Arg412Trp) | Missense | 0.02% | Unknown functional impact |
| c.567delA (p.Glu189fs) | Frameshift | 0.01% | Loss of function |
| c.890A>G (p.Asn297Ser) | Missense | 0.03% | Likely benign |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Frameshift and nonsense mutations that truncate the kinase domain or disrupt complex formation with ATG13 and RB1CC1.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Not well characterized; rare missense variants may increase kinase activity but evidence is limited.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Mutations that impair autophagy initiation without complete loss of protein expression may act in a dominant-negative manner.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
Pathways
• Autophagy - KEGG hsa04140
• mTOR signaling pathway - KEGG hsa04150
• Regulation of autophagy - Reactome R-HSA-1632852
Protein Summary
ULK2 is a 1036-amino acid serine/threonine kinase with an N-terminal kinase domain, a central proline/serine-rich region, and a C-terminal domain that mediates interactions with ATG13 and RB1CC1. It functions as a key initiator of autophagy by phosphorylating downstream targets such as ATG13 and Beclin-1. ULK2 activity is regulated by mTORC1 and AMPK in response to nutrient and energy status.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ULK2 Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ1176 | Human | 9706 | Details Get a Quote |
| ULK2 Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ19094 | Human | 9706 | Details Get a Quote |
| ULK2 Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20445 | Human | 9706 | Details Get a Quote |
| ULK2 Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ20447 | Human | 9706 | Details Get a Quote |
