NPTX2 (F6B1F) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody #16967

The neuronal pentraxin (NPTX) family is composed of two secreted proteins, neuronal pentraxin 1 (NPTX1) and 2 (NPTX2), along with the NPTX receptor (NPTXR), a type II transmembrane protein. These proteins are part of the larger, evolutionarily conserved pentraxin superfamily. NPTX1, NPTX2, and NPTXR are known as long pentraxins. They share a conserved C-terminal domain with the short pentraxin family, which consists of C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P component (SAP), but they differ in that they also have unique, long N-terminal sequences containing low complexity regions. NPTXs play vital roles in synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning and plasticity, debris clearance, and neurite outgrowth (1-4). NPTX1 and NPTX2 are primarily secreted at presynaptic terminals of excitatory neurons. Once secreted into the synaptic cleft, they form homo or hetero-oligomers via their C-terminal pentraxin domains and bind NPTXR on the postsynaptic membrane. This complex then acts to cluster α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs), modulating synaptic activity and neuronal function (3,4). Synaptic dysfunction and neuronal loss are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Expression levels of NPTX family members in the brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and plasma have been shown to be altered in AD, PD, and FTLD, suggesting that they may be markers for this dysfunction, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic targets for these diseases (3,5-7). NPTX2 expression can also be regulated by TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP43), suggesting a possible link to TDP43 dysfunction and related proteinopathies such as FTLD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (8).