Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2 (OSBPL2)

Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 2 (OSBPL2, also called ORP2) is a member of the oxysterol-binding protein family involved in the intracellular transport and regulation of lipids, especially cholesterol and phospholipids[1][2][4][5]. OSBPL2 contains a conserved OSBP-like sterol-binding domain and operates as a lipid transfer protein at multiple membranes and organelles, particularly the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane[1][2][4][5]. It maintains cellular cholesterol and phosphoinositide homeostasis by exchanging sterols with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, regulates neutral lipid metabolism and steroid hormone production, and modulates cytoskeleton dynamics and energy metabolism[1][2]. OSBPL2 deficiency or mutation leads to metabolic diseases, including forms of hereditary hearing loss (DFNA67) and obesity-related traits, and is implicated in cellular processes such as adipocyte differentiation via Wnt/β-catenin signaling[1][2]. No approved drugs directly target OSBPL2, though it is considered a novel target for metabolic and obesity-associated diseases[2].

Other names

ORP2ORP-2KIAA0772DFNA67DNFA67LOC105369209

Not established for approved drugs or investigational agents; no direct small-molecule modulators known. Mechanistically, genetic manipulation or deletion/knockout has been shown to alter lipid metabolism, cellular cholesterol transport, and adipogenesis[1][2].