# KAT2A

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/kat2a/  
OnCo record `kat2a` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

KAT2A (Histone acetyltransferase KAT2A) 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.

## Summary

Protein lysine acyltransferase that catalyses acetylation of histone and non-histone proteins using acetyl-CoA. Also catalyses acyl-CoA-dependent acylation of lysine residues in proteins using alternative acyl-CoA donors, including propionyl-CoA, butyryl-CoA, succinyl-CoA, glutaryl-CoA, crotonyl-CoA and lactoyl-CoA. Acts as a histone lysine succinyltransferase: catalyses succinylation of histone H3 on 'Lys-79' (H3K79succ), with a maximum frequency around the transcription start sites of genes.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.63 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.95, affected pathway 0.80, animal model 0.30, genetic association 0.00).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: lysine acetyltransferase 2A; Histone acetyltransferase KAT2A; GCN5; PCAF-b; GCN5L2
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: KAT2A
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Protein lysine acyltransferase that catalyses acetylation of histone and non-histone proteins using acetyl-CoA. Also catalyses acyl-CoA-dependent acylation of lysine residues in proteins using alternative acyl-CoA donors, including propionyl-CoA, butyryl-CoA, succinyl-CoA, glutaryl-CoA, crotonyl-CoA and lactoyl-CoA. Acts as a histone lysine succinyltransferase: catalyses succinylation of histone H3 on 'Lys-79' (H3K79succ), with a maximum frequency around the transcription start sites of genes. Succinylation of histones gives a specific tag for epigenetic transcription activation. Association with the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, which provides succinyl-CoA, is required for histone succinylation. In different complexes, functions either as an acetyltransferase (HAT) or as a succinyltransferase: in the SAGA and ATAC complexes, acts as a histone acetyltransferase. Location: Nucleus; Chromosome; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, microtubule organizing center, centrosome (UniProt). Locus 17q21.2 (HGNC).

## 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:4201: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:4201
- UniProt Q92830: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q92830/entry
- NCBI Gene 2648: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2648
- Ensembl ENSG00000108773: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000108773

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/kat2a.json