NRG2
Encyclopedia
Neuregulin 2, also known as NRG2, is a protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 which in humans is encoded by the NRG2 gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

Function

Neuregulin 2 (NRG2) is a novel member of the neuregulin
Neuregulin
The Neuregulins are a family of four structurally-related proteins that are part of the EGF family of proteins. These proteins have been shown to have diverse functions in the development of the nervous system and play multiple essential roles in vertebrate embryogenesis including: cardiac...

 family of growth and differentiation factors. Through interaction with the ErbB
ErbB
The ErbB protein family or epidermal growth factor receptor family is a family of four structurally related receptor tyrosine kinases. The gene symbol, ErbB, is derived from the name of a viral oncogene to which these receptors are homologous: Erythroblastic Leukemia Viral Oncogene...

 family of receptors, NRG2 induces the growth and differentiation of epithelial, neuronal, glial, and other types of cells. The gene consists of 12 exons and the genomic structure is similar to that of neuregulin 1
Neuregulin 1
Neuregulin 1 or NRG1 is a protein which in humans is encoded by the NRG1 gene. NRG1 is one of four proteins in the neuregulin family that act on the EGFR family of receptors. Neuregulin 1 is produced in numerous isoforms by alternative splicing, which allows it to perform a wide variety of functions...

(NRG1), another member of the neuregulin family of ligands. NRG1 and NRG2 mediate distinct biological processes by acting at different sites in tissues and eliciting different biological responses in cells. The gene is located close to the region for demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease locus, but is not responsible for this disease. Alternative transcripts encoding distinct isoforms have been described.

Further reading

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