title: The myelin membrane-associated enzyme 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase: on a highway to structure and function.
abstract: The membrane-anchored myelin enzyme 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) was discovered in the early 1960s and has since then troubled scientists with its peculiar catalytic activity and high expression levels in the central nervous system. Despite decades of research, the actual physiological relevance of CNPase has only recently begun to unravel. In addition to a role in myelination, CNPase is also involved in local adenosine production in traumatic brain injury and possibly has a regulatory function in mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. Although research focusing on the CNPase phosphodiesterase activity has been helpful, several open questions concerning the protein function in vivo remain unanswered. This review is focused on past research on CNPase, especially in the fields of structural biology and enzymology, and outlines the current understanding regarding the biochemical and physiological significance of CNPase, providing ideas and directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raasakka
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. petri.kursula@oulu.fi.|Department of Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. petri.kursula@oulu.fi.
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kursula
mesh_terms: D063309:2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D063309:2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase