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Merlin, the NF2 Gene Product

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Pathology & Oncology Research

Abstract

Merlin, the protein product of NF2 gene, is one of the most versatile tumor suppressors capable of integrating different mechanisms that regulate cell proliferation, motility, survival and signaling pathways underlying and governing those mechanisms. Merlin is considered a member of the band 4.1 families of cytoskeleton-associated proteins also called ERM family and acts as tumor suppressor. The main cause for transformation of Schwann cells into schwannomas is credited to the inactivation of the neurofibromin 2 (NF2) gene and the consecutive loss of its protein merlin. Recent scientific advances improved our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms involving NF2 gene. The present review brings genetic properties of NF2 gene, molecular characteristics of merlin, summarizes mutational spectra and explains merlin’s multifunctional roles regarding its involvement in neurofibromatosis associated tumorigenesis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant 108-1081870-1905 from Ministry of Science Sports and Education, Republic of Croatia.

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  1. Laboratory of Neurooncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 12, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Nives Pećina-Šlaus

  2. Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Šalata 3, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Nives Pećina-Šlaus

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Correspondence to Nives Pećina-Šlaus.

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Pećina-Šlaus, N. Merlin, the NF2 Gene Product. Pathol. Oncol. Res. 19, 365–373 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-013-9644-y

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