Endoribonuclease LACTB2 (LACTB2)

Endoribonuclease LACTB2 is a human mitochondrial enzyme encoded by the LACTB2 gene, located on chromosome 8q13.3[1]. It belongs to the metallo-β-lactamase protein family and functions as an endoribonuclease, specifically cleaving single-stranded RNA at sites 3' to purine-pyrimidine dinucleotide motifs, resulting in products with a free 3’-OH group[2][3][6]. LACTB2 is essential for maintaining mitochondrial RNA homeostasis and cell viability. Knockdown of LACTB2 causes accumulation of mitochondrial transcripts, cell morphological abnormalities, and cell death, while overexpression leads to reduced transcript abundance[2]. LACTB2 is implicated in cancer biology, particularly colorectal cancer, through a tumor-specific LACTB2-NCOA2 fusion that disrupts regulatory pathways. There are currently no established drugs, biomarkers, or clinical safety guidelines for therapeutic intervention targeting LACTB2[1][2][3][6].

Other names

Lactamase beta 2Beta-lactamase-like protein 2CGI-83Endoribonuclease LACTB2Testicular secretory protein Li 23

Not applicable, as there are no clinically validated drugs targeting LACTB2. Generally, drugs targeting endoribonucleases inhibit RNA cleavage activity, but this is speculative for LACTB2