Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 25, 2026

PNMA2

Paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 (PNMA2), also known as Ma2 or MM2, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PNMA2 gene on chromosome 8 (8p21.2). The gene encodes an approximately 40 kDa onconeuronal protein predominantly expressed in neurons of the central nervous system and belongs to the paraneoplastic Ma antigen (PNMA) protein family.

Last revised
Jun 25, 2026
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PNMA2
Identifiers
AliasesPNMA2, MA2, MM2, RGAG2, paraneoplastic Ma antigen 2, PNMA family member 2
External IDsOMIM: 603970; MGI: 2444129; HomoloGene: 5249; GeneCards: PNMA2; OMA:PNMA2 - orthologs
Orthologs
SpeciesHumanMouse
Entrez
Ensembl
UniProt
RefSeq (mRNA)

NM_007257

NM_175498

RefSeq (protein)

NP_009188

NP_780707

Location (UCSC)Chr 8: 26.5 – 26.51 MbChr 14: 67.15 – 67.16 Mb
PubMed search34
Wikidata
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Paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 (PNMA2), also known as Ma2 or MM2, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PNMA2 gene on chromosome 8 (8p21.2).56 The gene encodes an approximately 40 kDa onconeuronal protein predominantly expressed in neurons of the central nervous system7 and belongs to the paraneoplastic Ma antigen (PNMA) protein family.8

PNMA2 can self-assemble into virus-like particles which closely resemble the capsids of HIV-1.9 These capsids can act as an extracellular antigen and have been found to be capable of generating an autoimmune response.7 The conserved virus-like aspects of PNMA2 is shared with other retrotransposons-dertived mammalian proteins such as Arc and PEG10.

Evolution

The PNMA2 gene is located on the short arm of human chromosome 8 in a cytogenetic band.610 It comprises three exons, the third of which encodes the entire open reading frame.7 Phylogenomic analysis suggests PNMA2 was co-opted from an LTR retrotransposon of the Ty3/mdg4 family in the common ancestor of placental mammals approximately 100 mya. It appears across all major placental mammal lineages except marsupials.7 The promoter region lies 150 base pairs from the neighboring DPYSL2 gene, with which it likely shares a bidirectional promoter, this may have facilitated the gene's co-option.7

Clinical significance

Normally sequestered within the immune-privileged CNS, PNMA2 can be ectopically expressed by certain peripheral tumors, leading to release of virus-like capsids into systemic circulation, and this can trigger an autoimmune response. The resulting autoantibodies preferentially target the epitopes of the capsid and cross-react with normal PNMA2 in the brain, causing what is known as "anti-Ma2 paraneoplastic neurological syndrome" (Ma2-PNS).511

See also

See also

References

References

  1. GRCh38: Ensembl release 89: ENSG00000240694Ensembl, May 2017
  2. GRCm38: Ensembl release 89: ENSMUSG00000046204Ensembl, 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. Voltz R, Gultekin SH, Rosenfeld MR, Gerstner E, Eichen J, Posner JB, Dalmau J (Jun 1999). "A serologic marker of paraneoplastic limbic and brain-stem encephalitis in patients with testicular cancer". N Engl J Med. 340 (23): 1788–95. doi:10.1056/NEJM199906103402303. PMID 10362822.
  6. "Entrez Gene: PNMA2 paraneoplastic antigen MA2".
  7. Xu J, Erlendsson S, Singh M, Holling GA, Regier M, Ibiricu I, Einstein J, Hantak MP, Day GS, Piquet AL, Smith TL, Clardy SL, Whiteley A, Feschotte C (Feb 2024). "PNMA2 forms immunogenic non-enveloped virus-like capsids associated with paraneoplastic neurological syndrome". Cell. 187 (4): 831–845.e19. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.009. PMC 10922747. PMID 38301645.
  8. Rosenfeld MR, Eichen JG, Wade DF, Posner JB, Dalmau J (Sep 2001). "Molecular and clinical diversity in paraneoplastic immunity to Ma proteins". Ann Neurol. 50 (3): 339–48. doi:10.1002/ana.1288. PMID 11558790. S2CID 24518861.
  9. Madigan V, Zhang Y, Raghavan R, Wilkinson ME, Faure G, Puccio E, Segel M, Lash B, Macrae RK, Zhang F (Mar 2024). "Human paraneoplastic antigen Ma2 (PNMA2) forms icosahedral capsids that can be engineered for mRNA delivery". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 121 (11). doi:10.1073/pnas.2307812120. PMC 10945824. PMID 38437549.
  10. "OMIM Entry 603970 — Paraneoplastic Ma Antigen 2; PNMA2".
  11. Dalmau J, Graus F, Villarejo A, Posner JB, Blumenthal D, Thiessen B, Saiz A, Meneses P, Rosenfeld MR (Aug 2004). "Clinical analysis of anti-Ma2-associated encephalitis". Brain. 127 (Pt 8): 1831–44. doi:10.1093/brain/awh203. PMID 15215214.
Further reading

Further reading