Back to your search result

Description

Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 2 (UniProt: Q13822, also known as EC: 3.1.4.39, E-NPP 2, Autotaxin, Extracellular lysophospholipase D, LysoPLD) is encoded by the ENPP2 (also known as ATX, PDNP2) gene (Gene ID: 5168) in human. Autotaxin is a secreted glycoprotein that is present in biological fluids. Its lysophospholipase D catalyzes the production of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) in extracellular fluids. The level of LPA is shown to be markedly increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in asthma patients in response to allergens. Lysophosphatidylcholine is shown to be its major substrate. It can also act on sphingosylphosphphorylcholine to produce sphingosine-1-phosphate, a modulator of cell motility. Autotaxin is synthesized with a signal peptide (aa 1-27) and a propeptide (aa 28-35), which is cleaved off by furin in the mature form. Three isoforms of Autotaxin have been reported that are produced by alternative splicing. Isoform 1 is highly expressed in peripheral tissues and isoform 3 is more prominently expressed in the brain. Adipocytes are shown to express only isoform 1. Autotaxin levels are up-regulated in obese subjects with glucose intolerance and during adipogenesis. Autotaxin can also act as an angiogenic factor that stimulates migration of smooth muscle cells and microtubule formation and increased expression of Autotaxin has been reported in various types of cancers. (Ref.: Park, GY., et al. (2013). Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 188(8), 928 940, Oikonomou, N., et al. (2012). Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 47(5), 566-574).