RNA-binding protein FXR2

RNA-binding protein FXR2 (FXR2P) is an mRNA-binding protein that regulates translation and stability of target transcripts by binding to AU-rich elements in 3' untranslated regions (UniProt: P51116). It promotes phase-separated membraneless compartment formation, which modulates mRNA storage, translation, and stability. FXR2 specifically regulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis by controlling NOG mRNA translation and stability in the dentate gyrus, thereby suppressing NOG protein expression.

FXR2 is expressed in the hippocampus and participates in neurogenic pathways critical for memory and learning-related plasticity. No baseline disease associations are documented in UniProt, though the protein's role in hippocampal function is consistent with structures vulnerable to neurodegeneration.

In Alzheimer's Disease, FXR2 shows reduced expression in post-mortem human brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics). The protein is downregulated with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.58 across one subcellular fraction in TMT-labeled proteomics experiments. This decreased abundance may impair translational regulation and hippocampal neurogenic capacity, potentially contributing to memory deficits and cognitive decline characteristic of AD.