# FOXL2

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/foxl2/  
OnCo record `foxl2` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

FOXL2 (Forkhead box protein L2) is a gene that drives cell growth when it is altered. The public catalogues list it as an oncogene driver and a biomarker, and clinical evidence ties its variants to diagnosis, prognosis or drug response. Tied to Ovarian cancer.

## Summary

Transcriptional regulator. Critical factor essential for ovary differentiation and maintenance, and repression of the genetic program for somatic testis determination. Prevents trans-differentiation of ovary to testis through transcriptional repression of the Sertoli cell-promoting gene SOX9.

CIViC holds 4 clinical evidence items and 0 assertions across 1 variant. IntOGen calls it a driver in 1 cohort (1 activating, 0 loss-of-function), covering Ovarian Epithelial Tumour.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: forkhead box L2; Forkhead box protein L2; BPES1
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: FOXL2
- Class: oncogene
- Biology: Transcriptional regulator. Critical factor essential for ovary differentiation and maintenance, and repression of the genetic program for somatic testis determination. Prevents trans-differentiation of ovary to testis through transcriptional repression of the Sertoli cell-promoting gene SOX9. Has apoptotic activity in ovarian cells. Suppresses ESR1-mediated transcription of PTGS2/COX2 stimulated by tamoxifen. Is a regulator of CYP19 expression. Location: Nucleus (UniProt). Locus 3q22.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Ovarian cancer: IntOGen driver in 1 cohort (OVT)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: IntOGen calls it an activating (Act) driver in 1 cohort; CIViC holds 4 clinical evidence items on its variants. Evidence tier "clinical-evidence" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.
- Diseases the sources name that have no OnCo cancer page yet, so they are not linked: Granulosa Cell Tumour; Ovarian Sex-cord Stromal Tumour; Adult-type Granulosa Cell Tumour Of The Ovary.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:1092: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:1092
- UniProt P58012: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P58012/entry
- NCBI Gene 668: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/668
- Ensembl ENSG00000183770: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000183770

## Connected records

- collections: [CIViC](https://onco.cc/collections/civic/), [IntOGen](https://onco.cc/collections/intogen/)
- cancers: [Ovarian cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/ovarian/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/foxl2.json