Background of the antigen
PTBP-2 is a member of the polypyrimidine tract binding family of proteins. Predominantly expressed in brain, but also found in heart and skeletal muscle, PTBP-2 localizes to the nucleus and contains four RRM (RNA recognition motif) domains. PTBP-2 functions as an RNA-binding protein associated in a complex that is involved in the regulation of exon splicing and the stabilization of mRNAs in the cytoplasm. Six isoforms exist for PTBP-2 due to alternative splicing events. Isoforms 1 and 2 (also known as nPTB1 and nPTB2/PTBPLP-L, respectively) are neuronal-specific. Isoforms 3 and 4 (also known as nPTB3/PTBPLP-L and nPTB4, respectively) are found in non-neuronal tissues, as are isoforms 5 and 6 (also known as nPTB5/nPTB7/PTBPLP-S and nPTB6/nPTB8/PTBPLP-S, respectively). The existence of various isoforms may function to modulate the RNA-binding properties of PTBP-2