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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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CHAC2
ChaC glutathione specific gamma-glutamylcyclotransferase 2
Chromosome 2 · 2p16.2
NCBI Gene: 494143Ensembl: ENSG00000143942.6HGNC: HGNC:32363UniProt: Q8WUX2
16PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
glutathione specific gamma-glutamylcyclotransferase activityglutathione catabolic processcytoplasmglutathione metabolic processinsomniarestless legs syndromemale infertilityplacental retention
✦AI Summary

CHAC2 is a cytosolic γ-glutamylcyclotransferase that catalyzes the specific cleavage of glutathione into 5-oxo-L-proline and Cys-Gly dipeptide 12. The enzyme shows high specificity for reduced glutathione and does not act on other γ-glutamyl peptides or oxidized glutathione 2. CHAC2 exhibits 10-20-fold lower catalytic efficiency compared to its paralog CHAC1, with a Km of 3.7 mM and kcat of 15.9 min⁻¹ for human CHAC2 2. The protein contains a flexible loop that functions as a gate for glutathione specificity, with Glu74 and Glu83 being crucial for enzyme conformation and activity 1. CHAC2 plays complex roles in cancer biology, acting as a tumor suppressor in gastric and colorectal cancers by inducing apoptosis and autophagy through unfolded protein response 3, but promoting breast cancer cell proliferation 14. The enzyme is essential for glutathione homeostasis in human embryonic stem cells, where it competes with CHAC1 to prevent glutathione degradation and maintain self-renewal 5. CHAC2 is constitutively expressed and involved in continuous basal turnover of cytosolic glutathione 26.

Sources cited
1
CHAC2 catalyzes cleavage of glutathione into 5-oxo-L-proline and Cys-Gly, has flexible loop for specificity, and promotes breast cancer proliferation
PMID: 31878259
2
CHAC2 has lower catalytic efficiency than CHAC1, shows glutathione specificity, is constitutively expressed, and involved in basal glutathione turnover
PMID: 27913623
3
CHAC2 acts as tumor suppressor in gastric and colorectal cancers by inducing apoptosis and autophagy
PMID: 28837156
4
CHAC2 is essential for glutathione homeostasis in embryonic stem cells and competes with CHAC1
PMID: 29054545
5
High CHAC2 levels are associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer
PMID: 36568153
6
CHAC2 is among new cytosolic glutathione degradation enzymes discovered in recent years
PMID: 28537416
Disease Associationsⓘ20
insomniaOpen Targets
0.33Weak
restless legs syndromeOpen Targets
0.30Weak
male infertilityOpen Targets
0.22Weak
placental retentionOpen Targets
0.21Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.21Weak
crush injuryOpen Targets
0.20Weak
gestational diabetesOpen Targets
0.20Weak
placenta praeviaOpen Targets
0.20Weak
ovarian neoplasmOpen Targets
0.19Weak
gastric ulcerOpen Targets
0.17Weak
hemorrhageOpen Targets
0.17Weak
Sleep DisorderOpen Targets
0.14Weak
sleep apneaOpen Targets
0.13Weak
alopecia areataOpen Targets
0.11Weak
colorectal cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
alcohol drinkingOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteoarthritis, kneeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteoarthritis, hipOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
total joint arthroplastyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
GSTO1Protein interaction96%GSTO2Protein interaction96%ANPEPProtein interaction91%LAP3Protein interaction91%GGCTProtein interaction91%GPX2Protein interaction90%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Liver
46%
Heart
24%
Lung
22%
Brain
19%
Ovary
9%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
CHAC2GSTO1GSTO2ANPEPLAP3GGCTGPX2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB6KY1 · 2.04 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.67LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF1.14 [0.79–1.67]
RankingsWhere CHAC2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #15,227of 20,598
    Most Researched16
  • #15,992of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.67
Genes detectedCHAC2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Structural and Functional Analyses of Human ChaC2 in Glutathione Metabolism.
PMID: 31878259
Biomolecules · 2019
1.00
2
Glutathione Degradation.
PMID: 28537416
Antioxid Redox Signal · 2017
0.90
3
CHAC2 is essential for self-renewal and glutathione maintenance in human embryonic stem cells.
PMID: 29054545
Free Radic Biol Med · 2017
0.80
4
CHAC2, downregulated in gastric and colorectal cancers, acted as a tumor suppressor inducing apoptosis and autophagy through unfolded protein response.
PMID: 28837156
Cell Death Dis · 2017
0.70
5
Cancer informatics analysis indicates high CHAC2 associated with unfavorable prognosis in breast cancer.
PMID: 36568153
Front Oncol · 2022
0.60