Lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), also known as CD107b (Cluster of Differentiation 107b) and Mac-3, is a human

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. Its protein, LAMP2, is one of the

lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein Lysosome-associated membrane glycoproteins (LAMPs) are integral membrane proteins, specific to lysosomes, and whose exact biological function is not yet clear. Structurally, the lamp proteins consist of two internally homologous lysosome-luminal d ...

s. The protein encoded by this gene is a member of a family of membrane glycoproteins. This glycoprotein provides selectins with carbohydrate ligands. It may play a role in tumor cell metastasis. It may also function in the protection, maintenance, and adhesion of the lysosome. Alternative splicing of the gene produces three variants - LAMP-2A, LAMP-2B and LAMP-2C. LAMP-2A is the receptor for

chaperone-mediated autophagy Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) refers to the chaperone-dependent selection of soluble cytosolic proteins that are then targeted to lysosomes and directly translocated across the lysosome membrane for degradation. The unique features of this typ ...

. Recently it has been determined that antibodies against LAMP-2 account for a fraction of patients who get a serious kidney disease termed focal necrotizing glomerulonephritis. LAMP-2B is associated with

Danon disease Danon disease (or glycogen storage disease Type IIb) is a metabolic disorder. Danon disease is an X-linked lysosomal and glycogen storage disorder associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, skeletal muscle weakness, and intellectual disability. I ...

Structure and tissue distribution

The gene for LAMP2 has 9 coding exons and 2 alternate last exons, 9a and 9b. When the last exon is spliced with the alternative exon, it is a variant called LAMP2b, which varies in the last 11 amino acids of its C-terminal sequence: in the luminal domain, the transmembrane domain, and the cytoplasmic tail. The original (LAMP2a) is highly expressed in the placenta, lung, and liver, while LAMP2b is highly expressed in skeletal muscle.

Function

Lysosome A lysosome () is a membrane-bound organelle found in many animal cells. They are spherical vesicles that contain hydrolytic enzymes that can break down many kinds of biomolecules. A lysosome has a specific composition, of both its membrane prot ...

s are cell organelles found in most animal cells. Their main functions center around breaking down materials and debris in the cell. Some of this is done via acid hydrolases that degrade foreign materials and have specialized autolytic functions. These hydrolyses are stored in the lysosomal membrane, which also house lysosomal membrane glycoproteins.

LAMP1 Lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) also known as lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 1 and CD107a (Cluster of Differentiation 107a), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''LAMP1'' gene. The human ''LAMP1'' gene is locat ...

and LAMP2 make up about 50% of lysosomal membrane glycoproteins. (See

for more information on both LAMP1 and LAMP2.) Both of these consist of

polypeptides Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A p ...

of about 40 kD, with the core polypeptide surrounded by 16 to 20 attached N-linked

saccharides In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or may ...

. The biological functions of these glycoproteins are disputed. They are believed to be significantly involved in operations of the lysosomes, including maintaining integrity, pH and catabolism. Further, some of the functions of LAMP2 are believed to be protecting the lysosomal membrane from proteolytic enzymes that are within the lysosome itself (as in autodigestion), acting as a receptor into the lysosome for proteins, adhesion (when expressed on the outside surface of the plasma membrane) and signal transduction, both inter- and intra-. It also provides protection for the cell from methylating mutagens.

Role in cancer

LAMP2 has been specifically implicated in tumor cell metastasis. Both LAMP1 and LAMP2 have been found expressed on the surface of cancerous tumors, specifically in cells of highly metastatic cancer such as colon cancer and melanoma. They are rarely found on the plasma membranes of normal cells, and are found more on highly metastatic tumors than on poorly metastatic ones. LAMP2, along with LAMP1, interact with E-selectin and galectins to mediate the adhesion of some cancer cells to the ECM. The two LAMP molecules act as ligands for the cell-adhesion molecules. It has also been shown that the

down-regulation In the biological context of organisms' production of gene products, downregulation is the process by which a cell decreases the quantity of a cellular component, such as RNA or protein, in response to an external stimulus. The complementary pr ...

of LAMP2 could both reduce the resistance of breast cancer cells to the

paclitaxel Paclitaxel (PTX), sold under the brand name Taxol among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, cervical cancer ...

and could inhibit

cell proliferation Cell proliferation is the process by which ''a cell grows and divides to produce two daughter cells''. Cell proliferation leads to an exponential increase in cell number and is therefore a rapid mechanism of tissue growth. Cell proliferation re ...

multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone pain, an ...

cells. Along with other genes such as LC3B, p62 and CTSB, a strong up regulation of LAMP2 was detected in perinecrotic areas of glioblastomas. This suggests autophagy induction in gliomas could be caused by micro-environmental changes. In a study of glial tumors, the cell membranes of glial and endothelial cells were found to contain LAMP1 and LAMP2, while YKL-40 (a different glycoprotein) was found in the cytoplasm. This suggests that the three glycoproteins are involved in tumor development, specifically in the processes of angiogenesis and tissue remodeling.

Inducers

CA77.1 CA77.1 (CA) is a synthetic compound that activates chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) by increasing the expression of the lysosomal receptor for this pathway, LAMP2A, in lysosomes. CA77.1 is a derivative of earlier compound AR7, which shows pote ...

QX39 QX39 (Compound A, CA39) is a synthetic compound that activates chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) by increasing the expression of the lysosomal receptor for this pathway, LAMP2A lysosome A lysosome () is a membrane-bound organelle found in ...

References

External links

*
PDBe-KB
provides an overview of all the structure information available in the PDB for Human Lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 2 {{Peroxisomal proteins Clusters of differentiation