# GRHL2

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/grhl2/  
OnCo record `grhl2` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

GRHL2 (Grainyhead-like protein 2 homolog) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. In the public catalogues the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role. Tied to Breast cancer.

## Summary

Transcription factor playing an important role in primary neurulation and in epithelial development. Binds directly to the consensus DNA sequence 5'-AACCGGTT-3' acting as an activator and repressor on distinct target genes. During embryogenesis, plays unique and cooperative roles with GRHL3 in establishing distinct zones of primary neurulation.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.52 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.98, affected pathway 0.32, genetic association 0.60).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: grainyhead like transcription factor 2; Grainyhead-like protein 2 homolog; FLJ13782; DFNA28; TFCP2L3
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: GRHL2
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Transcription factor playing an important role in primary neurulation and in epithelial development. Binds directly to the consensus DNA sequence 5'-AACCGGTT-3' acting as an activator and repressor on distinct target genes. During embryogenesis, plays unique and cooperative roles with GRHL3 in establishing distinct zones of primary neurulation. Essential for closure 3 (rostral end of the forebrain), functions cooperatively with GRHL3 in closure 2 (forebrain/midbrain boundary) and posterior neuropore closure. Regulates epithelial morphogenesis acting as a target gene-associated transcriptional activator of apical junctional complex components. Up-regulates of CLDN3 and CLDN4, as well as of RAB25, which increases the CLDN4 protein and its localisation at tight junctions. Location: Nucleus; Membrane (UniProt). Locus 8q22.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Breast cancer: Open Targets association 0.52 with breast cancer (MONDO_0007254)

## 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: none stated by the sources. Evidence tier "association-only" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:2799: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:2799
- UniProt Q6ISB3: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q6ISB3/entry
- NCBI Gene 79977: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/79977
- Ensembl ENSG00000083307: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000083307

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Breast cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-cancer/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/grhl2.json