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25 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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ENO2
enolase 2
Chromosome 12 · 12p13.31
NCBI Gene: 2026Ensembl: ENSG00000111674.10HGNC: HGNC:3353UniProt: P09104
275PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Hub Gene
RESEARCH IMPACT
Trending
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
GO:0005615protein bindingextracellular exosomemembraneneurodegenerative diseasehereditary breast ovarian cancer syndromeHereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromesmall cell lung carcinoma
✦AI Summary

ENO2 (enolase 2), also known as neuron-specific enolase (NSE), is a glycolytic enzyme catalyzing the reversible conversion between 2-phosphoglycerate and phosphoenolpyruvate 1. As a neuron-specific isoform expressed during neural differentiation, ENO2 serves as a highly specific marker for neurons and neuroendocrine cells 1. Beyond its canonical glycolytic function, ENO2 plays critical roles in metabolic reprogramming across multiple cancer types. ENO2 overexpression drives neuroendocrine differentiation and promotes malignant behavior in colorectal cancer by generating phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), which functions as an endogenous HDAC1 inhibitor to activate β-catenin signaling 2. In cholangiocarcinoma, ENO2 expression is upregulated through the USP21/HSP90/HIF1A axis to promote aerobic glycolysis and chemotherapy resistance 3. Similarly, in gastric cancer, ENO2 activation by the METTL3/HDGF pathway enhances glycolysis and metastasis 4. ENO2-driven glucose metabolism sustains 3D tumor spheroid growth across lung and breast cancer models regardless of nutrient conditions 5. Clinically, ENO2 serves as a predictive biomarker for treatment resistance and disease prognosis across neuroendocrine tumors, small cell lung cancer, and neuroblastoma 1. Additionally, ENO2+ nanoparticles released from neural cells exposed to CAR T cell-derived vesicles may contribute to immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome pathogenesis 6.

Sources cited
1
ENO2 is a neuron-specific glycolytic enolase isoform expressed during neural differentiation; serves as a specific marker for neurons and neuroendocrine cells; elevated in neuroendocrine tumors, SCLC, neuroblastoma, and various malignancies
PMID: 26530364
2
ENO2 overexpression promotes colorectal cancer malignancy and antiangiogenic therapy resistance; ENO2-derived PEP inhibits HDAC1 to activate β-catenin signaling
PMID: 37667133
3
ENO2 expression is upregulated in cholangiocarcinoma through USP21/HSP90/HIF1A axis; promotes aerobic glycolysis and chemotherapy resistance
PMID: 38385089
4
ENO2 expression is activated in gastric cancer through METTL3/HDGF pathway; enhances glycolysis and liver metastasis
PMID: 31582403
5
ENO2 overexpression drives enhanced glucose consumption and lactate production sustaining 3D tumor spheroid growth in lung and breast cancer
PMID: 36945054
6
ENO2+ nanoparticles released from neural cells upon CAR T cell-derived vesicle exposure are increased in patients with immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome
PMID: 38833312
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.45Moderate
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromeOpen Targets
0.12Weak
hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndromeOpen Targets
0.12Weak
small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.12Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Weak
gastric cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
neuropathyOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
silicosisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
systemic lupus erythematosusOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
neuroblastomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Romano-Ward syndromeOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
lymphomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
acute lymphoblastic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Parkinson diseaseOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
strokeOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
cardiac arrestOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
pneumoniaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
TALDO1Protein interaction99%TKTProtein interaction98%PGAM4Protein interaction97%TKTL1Protein interaction96%TKTL2Protein interaction96%CSTF3Protein interaction96%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Heart
10%
Lung
8%
Ovary
7%
Bone Marrow
6%
Liver
2%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
ENO2TALDO1TKTPGAM4TKTL1TKTL2CSTF3
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB2AKZ · 1.36 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.54Moderately Constrained
pLIⓘ
0.84Intermediate
Observed/Expected LoF0.37 [0.26–0.54]
RankingsWhere ENO2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #1,326of 20,598
    Most Researched275 · top 10%
  • #3,431of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.54 · top quartile
Genes detectedENO2
Sources retrieved25 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
25▼
1
Neuron-Specific Enolase as a Biomarker: Biochemical and Clinical Aspects.
PMID: 26530364
Adv Exp Med Biol · 2015
1.00
2
PMID: 33843443
Autophagy · 2021
0.90
3
ENO2-derived phosphoenolpyruvate functions as an endogenous inhibitor of HDAC1 and confers resistance to antiangiogenic therapy.
PMID: 37667133
Nat Metab · 2023
0.80
4
USP21 deubiquitinates and stabilizes HSP90 and ENO1 to promote aerobic glycolysis and proliferation in cholangiocarcinoma.
PMID: 38385089
Int J Biol Sci · 2024
0.70
5
Reprogramming of Energy Metabolism in Human
PMID: 39000280
Int J Mol Sci · 2024
0.64