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FLASH GENE
Symbol NF2 contributors: mct/shn - updated : 11-12-2016
HGNC name neurofibromin 2
HGNC id 7773
Corresponding disease
NF2 neurofibromatosis 2
SCWT schwannomatosis
Location 22q12.2      Physical location : 29.999.544 - 30.094.583
Genatlas name schwannomerlin
Synonym name
  • schwannomin
  • merlin
  • moesin-ezrin-radizin-like protein
  • moesin-ezrin-radixin-like protein
  • moesin-ezrin-radixin like
  • schwannomerlin
  • neurofibromin 2 (bilateral acoustic neuroma)
  • neurofibromin-2
  • neurofibromin 2 (merlin)
  • Synonym symbol(s) SCH, ACN, BANF, Merlin
    DNA
    TYPE functioning gene
    STRUCTURE 95.05 kb     17 Exon(s)
    10 Kb 5' upstream gene genomic sequence study
    MAPPING cloned Y linked Y status confirmed
    Map cen - D22S275 - D22S1150 - NF2 NF2 - D22S1176 - D22S273 - qter
    RNA
    TRANSCRIPTS type messenger
    text several alternatively spliced isoforms
    identificationnb exonstypebpproduct
    ProteinkDaAAspecific expressionYearPubmed
    16 - 6046 69.7 595 - 2005 16007223
  • isoform 1
  • 17 splicing 6091 - 590 - 2005 16007223
  • isoform 2
  • 16 splicing 3126 - 590 - 2005 16007223
  • isoform 2
  • 16 splicing 5965 - 548 - 2005 16007223
  • variant de1E2
  • isoform 5
  • 16 splicing 5968 - 549 - 2005 16007223
  • variant de1E3
  • isoform 6
  • 15 splicing 5842 - 507 - 2005 16007223
  • variant de1E2/3
  • isoform 7
  • 15 splicing 2217 - 507 - 2005 16007223
  • isoform 7
  • 17 splicing 6106 - 590 - 2005 16007223
  • isoform 2
  • 5 splicing 4756 - 165 - 2005 16007223
  • isoform 8
  • EXPRESSION
    Type ubiquitous
       expressed in (based on citations)
    organ(s)
    SystemOrgan level 1Organ level 2Organ level 3Organ level 4LevelPubmedSpeciesStageRna symbol
    Cardiovascularheart   highly Homo sapiens
    Digestiveintestinelarge intestinecolon lowly Homo sapiens
     intestinesmall intestine  highly Homo sapiens
     liver   lowly Homo sapiens
     stomach   moderately Homo sapiens
    Lymphoid/Immunespleen   moderately Homo sapiens
    Nervousbrain   highly Homo sapiens
    Reproductivefemale systemplacenta  moderately Homo sapiens
     male systemtestis  highly Homo sapiens
    Respiratorylung   highly Homo sapiens
    Urinarykidney   moderately Homo sapiens
    tissue
    SystemTissueTissue level 1Tissue level 2LevelPubmedSpeciesStageRna symbol
    Muscularstriatum  moderately Homo sapiens
    cell lineage
    cell lines HEK293, SK-N-AS, NT2/E1, T98G, HepG2, HeLa, K562
    fluid/secretion
    at STAGE
    physiological period fetal
    Text brain
    PROTEIN
    PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    STRUCTURE
    motifs/domains
  • a globular N terminus with the FERM (EPB41, ezrin, radixin, moesin) domain, which are spliced out in isoforms Mer150/151/, and abolition of FERM domain-mediated phosphoinositide binding of merlin displaces merlin from the membrane and releases it into the cytosol without altering the folding of merlin
  • two tubulin-binding sites, one residing at the N-terminal FERM-domain and another at the C-terminal domain
  • an alpha helical domain
  • a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and Mer162 interacting with actin-based cytoskeletal structures, through the binding of its isoform 2 to fodrin (SPTBN1)
  • two putative terminal binding sequence PBD1 and PBD2 (to binding with PXN)
  • broad C-terminal region (AA 141-595) is necessary for the interaction with the C-terminal Ras-binding domain (RBD) of RALGDS
  • HOMOLOGY
    interspecies homolog to Nf2, Mus musculus
    ortholog to Nf2, Rattus norvegicus
    ortholog to NF2, Pan troglodytes
    Homologene
    FAMILY
  • ezrin-moesin-radixin-like, radixin-like (ERM) family member
  • CATEGORY tumor suppressor
    SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION     plasma membrane
        intracellular
    intracellular,cytoplasm,cytosolic
    intracellular,cytoplasm,cytoskeleton
    text
  • nucleocytoplasmic transfer through splicing of exon 2
  • lamellipodia membrane protein
  • basic FUNCTION
  • involved in tumor suppression (see TSG22A)
  • responding and participating in reorganization of membrane-cytoplasmic interactions
  • regulating cell-growth, actin-cytoskeleton-mediated functions such as spreading, motility and attachement
  • involved in the maintenance of normal cytoskeletal organization
  • playing a role in receptor-mediated signaling at the cell surface, and may have implications in the regulation of cytoskeletal reorganization
  • plays a key role in the regulation of the Schwann cell microtubule cytoskeleton
  • indirectly regulates cellular pathways involved in tumorigenesis, including cell to cell adhesion, cytoskeletal architecture, and membrane protein organization
  • can mediate contact-dependent inhibition of proliferation by coordinating the establishment of cell:cell contact with down-regulation of EGFR signaling
  • functions as a tumor and metastasis suppressor by controlling cadherin-mediated cell:cell contact
  • inhibits the activation of Pak1
  • plays a role in governing the hematopoietic stem cell pool by stem cell-autonomous or niche-determined processes
  • potent inhibitor of high-grade human glioma
  • may regulate receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, intracellular mitogenic growth control pathways, or adherens junction organization in non-nervous-system cell types
  • competitively inhibits Src binding to ERBB2 and, prevents ERBB2-mediated Src phosphorylation and downstream mitogenic signaling
  • regulates transmembrane receptors (such as ERB2 and ERB3) accumulation and signaling at the plasma membrane
  • negative regulator of MTOR, which activation is associated with meningioma and Schwannoma growth
  • inhibits mitogenic signaling at or near the plasma membrane
  • suppresses tumorigenesis by translocating to the nucleus to inhibit VPRBP
  • suppresses tumorigenesis by binding to VPRBP and suppressing its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity
  • can control the abundance and signaling of membrane receptors such as EGFR
  • playing a critical role in controlling homeostasis of the liver stem cell niche
  • may function to coordinate physical contacts and growth factor signaling among different cell types in this unique setting of intercellular communication
  • a role for Merlin in impeding breast malignancy
  • changes in the phosphorylation levels of NF2 and MSN lead likely to changes in epithelial organization
  • important and evolutionarily conserved molecular function of NF2 is to promote the membrane association of LATS1/LATS2
  • regulates contact inhibition and is an integral part of cell-cell junctions
  • CELLULAR PROCESS cell life, proliferation/growth
    cell organization/biogenesis
    cell communication
    PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESS
    PATHWAY
    metabolism
    signaling
    a component
    INTERACTION
    DNA
    RNA
    small molecule
    protein
  • Na(+)-H+ exchanger, NHE-RF
  • betaII-spectrin
  • Ezrin
  • SCHIP-1
  • HGF-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate, HRS
  • syntenin
  • beta-fodrin
  • Paxillin, beta 1 integrin and erbB2
  • p21-activated kinase 1, Pak1
  • transactivation-responsive RNA-binding protein, TRBP
  • magicin
  • merlin-associated protein, MAP
  • Ral guanine nucleotide dissociation stimulator, RALGDS
  • HEI10
  • NF2-associated GTP binding protein, dubbed NGB
  • protein kinase Akt
  • WD40-containing adaptor protein VprBP and E3 ubiquitin ligase complex
  • VPRBP
  • E3 ubiquitin ligase VPRBP
  • phosphoinositides, including PIK3CA
  • AMOT functions downstream of NF2 and upstream of ARHGAP17, a small GTPase Activating Protein, as a positive regulator of RAC1
  • COP9 Signalosome, CSN
  • disruption of the actin cytoskeleton promotes NF2-LATS1 interactions, which implicates NF2 in actin-mediated regulation of Hippo signaling
  • cell & other
  • adherens junction components
  • REGULATION
    Phosphorylated by protein kinase Akt
    Other regulation of NF2 nucleocytoplasmic transfer by CRM1-dependent nuclear export signal in exon 15
    downregulation of PPP1R14A induces merlin dephosphorylation, inhibits Ras activation and abolishes the transformed phenotype
    ASSOCIATED DISORDERS
    corresponding disease(s) NF2 , SCWT
    related resource Neurofibromatosis Type II
    Other morbid association(s)
    TypeGene ModificationChromosome rearrangementProtein expressionProtein Function
    tumoral   LOH    
    in ependymomas
    tumoral mosaic      
    in bilateral vestibular schwannomas
    tumoral     --over  
    in endometrial cancer metastasis
    tumoral       loss of function
    in meningioma, acoustic neurinoma
    tumoral   deletion    
    in the developing liver leads to a rapid and dramatic expansion of liver progenitor cells throughout the liver, and subsequently to the development of CC and metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma
    tumoral somatic mutation      
    associated with germinal SMARCB1 mutations in familial multiple meningiomas
    tumoral       loss of function
    of NF2, NIPSNAP1, UGT2B17, and LPIN2 genes during progression of a prostate epithelial cell line to a malignant metastatic state
    Susceptibility
    Variant & Polymorphism
    Candidate gene
    Marker
    Therapy target
    SystemTypeDisorderPubmed
    cancer  
    ErbB2 inhibitors and Src kinase inhibitors in clinical studies for the treatment of breast cancer and myelogenous leukemia may prove beneficial for the treatment of tumors characterized by merlin loss of function
    ANIMAL & CELL MODELS
  • Nf2 hemizygous mice do not develop schwannomas but mainly osteosarcomas
  • conditional homozygous Nf2 knockout mice showed characteristics of neurofibromatosis type 2 including schwannomas, Schwann cell hyperplasia, cataract, and osseous metaplasia
  • Mice with conditional deletion of exon 2 in Schwann cells develop schwannomas
  • Nf2 deficiency in primary cells is an inability to undergo contact-dependent growth arrest and to form stable cadherin-containing cell:cell junctions