Map2

What is MAP2 protein?

MAP2 gene (microtubule associated protein 2) is a protein coding gene which situated on the long arm of chromosome 2 at locus 2q34. This gene encodes a protein that belongs to the microtubule-associated protein family. The proteins of this family are thought to be involved in microtubule assembly, which is an essential step in neurogenesis. The products of similar genes in rat and mouse are neuron-specific cytoskeletal proteins that are enriched in dentrites, implicating a role in determining and stabilizing dentritic shape during neuron development. The MAP2 protein is consisted of 1827 amino acids and MAP2 molecular weight is approximately 199.5 kDa.

What is the function of MAP2 protein?

It is mainly expressed in the dendrites of neurons and plays an important role in the structure and stability of microtubules, neuronal morphogenesis, cytoskeleton dynamics, and organelle transport in axons and dendritic cells. By binding to microtubules, MAP2 promotes the polymerization of microtubules, forms a bundle structure, and cross-links with other cell structures. In addition, MAP2 is involved in the regulation of intracellular signaling, such as as an anchor protein for cAMP-dependent protein kinase A(PKA), It affects the amount of PKA and the phosphorylation of substrate CREB(cAMP-responsive element binding protein), thus playing a role in nerve cell signal transduction. During cell division, MAP2 is also involved in the assembly and stabilization of microtubule networks, which has an impact on the migration of nerve cells and the organizational structure of the cerebral cortex.

Fig1. Model of MAP2 regulation by phosphorylation in proline-rich and C-terminal domains. (R A DeGiosio, 2023)

MAP2 Related Signaling Pathway

As the anchor protein of PKA, MAP2 plays a role in nerve cell signal transduction, affecting the amount of PKA and the phosphorylation of substrate CREB. MAP2 forms the spindle of microtubules during mitosis and binds to centrioles in the middle of the spindle to participate in the formation of pseudopods and guide chromosome separation. MAP2 is involved in the intracellular transport of vesicles and particles along microtubules because some molecular motors are able to bind to the microtubules to transport materials of the cell. MAP2 is involved in the nucleation and stabilization of microtubules through the phosphorylation process, influences the transport of organelles within axons and dendrites, and may act as an anchor protein for protein kinases, which is important for signal transduction.

MAP2 Related Diseases

The MAP2 protein has been implicated in a variety of neurological diseases, especially in neurodegeneration and tumors. For example, in Alzheimer's disease (AD), abnormal phosphorylation of MAP2 is associated with the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. In addition, MAP2 expression levels change in certain types of brain tumors, such as glioma, and their expression levels correlate with the grade and aggressiveness of the tumor. Abnormal expression of MAP2 is also associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and may affect neuronal differentiation and function. In neuroblastoma, the expression and distribution of MAP2 changes with cell differentiation.

Bioapplications of MAP2

Because of its unique role in the nervous system, the MAP2 protein has a variety of applications, especially in the field of neuroscience research and clinical diagnosis. As a marker of mature neurons, MAP2 is often used to detect and identify the existence and status of neurons. In neurodevelopmental studies, the expression pattern of MAP2 contributes to understanding the process of neuronal differentiation and maturation. In pathological studies, abnormal expression or phosphorylation of MAP2 can be used as a biomarker to diagnose certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. In addition, MAP2 is also an important marker in brain tumor research, and the change of its expression level is helpful for tumor grading, invasive evaluation and prognosis judgment. In the field of drug development, MAP2 may become a potential target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumors, and by modulating the function of MAP2 or the signaling pathways in which it interacts, it may help develop new therapeutic strategies. Related MAP2 research tools are also being actively developed, including MAP2 antibody, MAP2 staining reagents, MAP2 markers, etc.