enolase-2; gamma-enolase; neuron specific enolase (ENO2)

Function

• neurotrophic & neuroprotective properties on a broad spectrum of central nervous system (CNS) neurons
• Ca+2-dependent binding to cultured neocortical neurons
• promotes cell survival (putative)
• carbohydrate degradation, glycolysis; pyruvate from D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, step 4/5

2-phospho-D-glycerate <--> phosphoenolpyruvate + H2O

Cofactor:

• Mg+2, required for catalysis & for stabilizing dimer

Structure

• mammalian enolase is composed of 3 isozyme subunits, alpha, beta & gamma, which can form homodimers or heterodimers which are cell-type & development-specific
• belongs to the enolase family

Compartment

• cytoplasm, cell membrane
• can translocate to the plasma membrane in heterodimeric (alpha/gamma) form

Expression

• alpha/gamma heterodimer & the gamma/gamma homodimer is found in neurons
• normally, found in nervous system, erythrocytes, plasma cells & platelets
• during ontogenesis, there is a transition from the alpha/alpha homodimer to the alpha/gamma heterodimer in nerve cells

Pathology

• levels of ENO2 increase in stroke, cerebral trauma, brain tumors & Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease
• small cell carcinoma of the lung stains positively for enolase-2

More general terms

• enolase (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolase)
• phosphoprotein

Additional terms

• neuron-specific enolase in serum

Database

• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P09104.html
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/131360
• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=2026