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Protein O-mannosyl-transferase 2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the POMT2 gene.[5][6][7]

Function

POMT2 encodes an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that shares significant sequence similarity with a family of protein O-mannosyltransferases of S. cerevisiae. For additional background information, see POMT1 (MIM 607423).[supplied by OMIM][7]

The POMT2 gene encodes for an enzyme called protein o-mannosyltransferase 2. This enzyme is responsible for α-dystroglycan glycosylation, an essential post-translational protein modification that allows cell surface membrane proteins to attach to the surrounding extracellular matrix. This post-translational process is especially important in muscle cells, and POMT2 variants have been directly associated with the development of various muscular dystrophies. Recently, researchers have identified POMT2 variations in patients suffering from a rare muscular dystrophy called limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R14. [8] In other species, it is hypothesized that POMT2 missense substitution mutations play a role in hypoxia adaptations for hibernating mammals. Hibernation is associated with many physiological and metabolic changes, including long term slower breathing rates which can pose a potential physiological stressor. To compensate for this, hibernating mammals possess genes that help them survive in low-oxygen environments for long periods of time. One of these genes is the POMT2 gene. The mechanism by which this gene codes for hypoxia adaptations has yet to be fully understood, however through close genetic and phylogenetic analysis, five different hibernating mammals have been shown to possess this beneficial mutation. [9]

References

  1. ^ a b c GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000009830Ensembl, May 2017
  2. ^ a b c GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000034126Ensembl, May 2017
  3. ^ “Human PubMed Reference:”. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  4. ^ “Mouse PubMed Reference:”. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
  5. ^ Fukuda S, Sumii M, Masuda Y, Takahashi M, Koike N, Teishima J, Yasumoto H, Itamoto T, Asahara T, Dohi K, Kamiya K (Feb 2001). “Murine and human SDF2L1 is an endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducible gene and encodes a new member of the Pmt/rt protein family”. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 280 (1): 407–14. doi:10.1006/bbrc.2000.4111. PMID 11162531.
  6. ^ Willer T, Amselgruber W, Deutzmann R, Strahl S (Dec 2002). “Characterization of POMT2, a novel member of the PMT protein O-mannosyltransferase family specifically localized to the acrosome of mammalian spermatids”. Glycobiology. 12 (11): 771–83. doi:10.1093/glycob/cwf086. PMID 12460945.
  7. ^ a b “Entrez Gene: POMT2 protein-O-mannosyltransferase 2”.
  8. ^ Yang, G., Lv, X., Wu, W., Wang, G., Yang, M., Feng, Y., Yan, C., Liu, M., & Lin, P. (2025). Novel pomt2 variants associated with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R14. Genetic, histological and functional studies. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-025-03578-7
  9. ^ Zhang, J., Zhang, X., Liu, N., Hu, J., Hiller, M., Sharma, V., Han, F., Dai, H., Tu, X., Cooper, D. N., Wu, D.-D., & Zeng, L. (2026). A pomt2 missense substitution contributes to hypoxia adaptation in hibernating mammals. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 43(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msag001

Further reading