# KITLG

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

## TL;DR

KITLG (Kit ligand) is a gene. In the public catalogues the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role. Tied to Testicular germ cell tumours.

## Summary

Ligand for the receptor-type protein-tyrosine kinase KIT. Plays an essential role in the regulation of cell survival and proliferation, haematopoiesis, stem cell maintenance, gametogenesis, mast cell development, migration and function, and in melanogenesis. KITLG/SCF binding can activate several signalling pathways.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.63 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.97, affected pathway 0.61, animal model 0.55, genetic association 0.68).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: KIT ligand; Kit ligand; Kitl; KL-1; FPH2; DFNA69
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: KITLG
- Class: other
- Biology: Ligand for the receptor-type protein-tyrosine kinase KIT. Plays an essential role in the regulation of cell survival and proliferation, haematopoiesis, stem cell maintenance, gametogenesis, mast cell development, migration and function, and in melanogenesis. KITLG/SCF binding can activate several signalling pathways. Promotes phosphorylation of PIK3R1, the regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and subsequent activation of the kinase AKT1. KITLG/SCF and KIT also transmit signals via GRB2 and activation of RAS, RAF1 and the MAP kinases MAPK1/ERK2 and/or MAPK3/ERK1. KITLG/SCF and KIT promote activation of STAT family members STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5. Location: Cell membrane; Cytoplasm; Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton; Cell projection, lamellipodium (UniProt). Locus 12q21.32 (HGNC).
- Where found: Testicular germ cell tumours: Open Targets association 0.51 with testicular cancer (MONDO_0005447)

## 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:6343: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6343
- UniProt P21583: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P21583/entry
- NCBI Gene 4254: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4254
- Ensembl ENSG00000049130: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000049130

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Testicular germ cell tumours](https://onco.cc/cancers/testicular/)

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