PP2A (Protein Phosphatase 2A) is a major serine/threonine phosphatase that regulates numerous cellular processes including cell cycle progression, apoptosis, metabolism, and signal transduction. The PP2A holoenzyme consists of a catalytic subunit (PPP2CA or PPP2CB), a structural A subunit (PPP2R1A or PPP2R1B), and a regulatory B subunit that determines substrate specificity.
PPP2R1A is a human gene whose product pPP2R1A encodes the alpha isoform of the structural A subunit of PP2A, which serves as a scaffold for assembly of the heterotrimeric phosphatase complex[1]:. Variants in PPP2R1A have been implicated in Alzheimer's Disease, Neurodegeneration, Cancer. This page covers the gene's normal function, disease associations, expression patterns, and key research findings relevant to neurodegeneration.
PPP2R1A encodes the alpha isoform of the structural A subunit of PP2A, which serves as a scaffold for assembly of the heterotrimeric phosphatase complex[1:1]:
PPP2R1A is ubiquitously expressed with high levels in:
In neurons, PP2A is enriched in synapses where it regulates synaptic plasticity.
Xu Y, Chen Y, Zhang P, et al. Structure of the catalytic subunit of PP2A and insights into its regulation. 2006. ↩︎ ↩︎
Liu F, Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K, Gong CX. Contributions of protein phosphatases PP1, PP2A, PP2B and PP5 to the regulation of tau phosphorylation. 2005. ↩︎
Hahn M, Winslow M, Fukuoka J, et al. PP2A subunit composition in human cancers. 2012. ↩︎