CAPN2
Description
The CAPN2 (calpain 2) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.
Calpain-2 catalytic subunit, encoded by the CAPN2 gene, is a calcium-activated protease found within human cells. It is part of a larger family of proteases, known as calpains, which are involved in breaking down specific proteins within cells. Calpains are non-lysosomal, meaning they operate outside of the main cellular waste disposal system. The CAPN2 gene produces the large subunit of the ubiquitous calpain 2 enzyme, which forms a complex with a smaller regulatory subunit. This gene is highly active in various tissues and has been shown to interact with the Bcl-2 protein, which is involved in regulating programmed cell death.
CAPN2 is a calcium-activated protease that plays a key role in various cellular processes, including cytoskeletal remodeling and signal transduction. It achieves this by selectively breaking down specific proteins within cells. For instance, it cleaves the MYOC protein at a specific arginine residue (Arg-226), and in response to neuronal stimulation, it cleaves CPEB3, a protein that typically suppresses translation of other proteins. This cleavage of CPEB3 removes its inhibitory effect, allowing for the translation of proteins normally kept in check.
CAPN2 is also known as CANP2, CANPL2, CANPml, mCANP.
