# OLIG2

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/olig2/  
OnCo record `olig2` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

OLIG2 (Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2) is a protein that switches other genes on and off. The public catalogues list it as a fusion partner, and the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role. Tied to Colorectal cancer.

## Summary

Required for oligodendrocyte and motor neuron specification in the spinal cord, as well as for the development of somatic motor neurons in the hindbrain. Works in coordination with ZNF488 to promote oligodendrocyte differentiation. Orchestrates progenitor cell fates during cortical gliogenesis and gliomagenesis.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.61 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.95, animal model 0.38, genetic association 0.00, somatic mutation 0.94).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2; Oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2; RACK17; OLIGO2; bHLHe19; PRKCBP2; BHLHB1
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: OLIG2
- Class: transcription
- Biology: Required for oligodendrocyte and motor neuron specification in the spinal cord, as well as for the development of somatic motor neurons in the hindbrain. Works in coordination with ZNF488 to promote oligodendrocyte differentiation. Orchestrates progenitor cell fates during cortical gliogenesis and gliomagenesis. In cooperation with OLIG2, activates oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) formation while repressing the generation of olfactory bulb interneuron intermediate progenitors (OBIN) generation through transcriptional regulation of GSX2. Mechanistically, binds and silences multiple conserved enhancer elements of GSX2. Cooperates with OLIG1 to establish the pMN domain of the embryonic neural tube. Location: Nucleus; Cytoplasm (UniProt). Locus 21q22.11 (HGNC).
- Where found: Colorectal cancer: Open Targets association 0.53 with colorectal cancer (MONDO_0005575)

## 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: UniProt disease notes describe a translocation or gene fusion involving the gene. Evidence tier "association-only" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:9398: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:9398
- UniProt Q13516: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q13516/entry
- NCBI Gene 10215: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/10215
- Ensembl ENSG00000205927: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000205927

## Connected records

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

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/olig2.json