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GeneE
28 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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NOP2
NOP2 nucleolar protein
Chromosome 12 · 12p13.31
NCBI Gene: 4839Ensembl: ENSG00000111641.14HGNC: HGNC:7867UniProt: P46087
236PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Highly ConstrainedHub Gene
RESEARCH IMPACT
Trending
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
regulation of signal transduction by p53 class mediatornucleolusnucleusRNA bindingneurodegenerative diseaseneoplasmnonpapillary renal cell carcinomaglioma
✦AI Summary

NOP2 is a S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase that catalyzes 5-methylcytosine (m5C) modification of ribosomal RNA, specifically methylating cytosine 4447 in 28S rRNA 1. The protein is essential for efficient rRNA processing and 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis 23, functioning through non-catalytic complex formation with box C/D snoRNAs to facilitate recruitment and stable assembly of U3 and U8 snoRNAs into pre-90S ribosomal particles 3. Beyond ribosomal functions, NOP2 participates in cell cycle regulation and nucleolar activity associated with cell proliferation 2. In disease contexts, NOP2 (also called NSUN2 in related literature) plays significant roles in cancer progression. Aberrant m5C hypermethylation mediated by NSUN2 contributes to gefitinib resistance in EGFR-mutant lung cancer through the NSUN2-YBX1 axis 4, and promotes colorectal cancer progression via m5C-dependent stabilization of oncogenic transcripts 5. Additionally, mitochondrial m5C modifications dependent on NOP2 family members are critical for metabolic plasticity driving metastasis 6. NOP2 has been identified as a diagnostic biomarker for sepsis 7, and m5C RNA modifications catalyzed by NOP2 family methyltransferases regulate RNA stability, translation, and expression of multiple oncogenes 89.

Sources cited
1
NOP2 specifically methylates C5 position of cytosine 4447 in 28S rRNA
PMID: 26196125
2
NOP2 required for efficient rRNA processing, 60S subunit biogenesis, and cell cycle regulation
PMID: 24120868
3
NOP2 regulates pre-rRNA processing through snoRNA complex formation and facilitates U3/U8 recruitment
PMID: 36161484
4
NSUN2-mediated m5C hypermethylation mediates gefitinib resistance in EGFR-mutant NSCLC via YBX1 axis
PMID: 37161388
5
NSUN2 promotes colorectal cancer progression through m5C-YBX1-dependent SKIL mRNA stabilization
PMID: 38468490
6
NOP2 family mitochondrial m5C modifications drive metabolic plasticity and tumor metastasis
PMID: 35768510
7
m5C RNA methylation modulates RNA stability, translation, and oncogene expression in cancer
PMID: 35562754
8
NSUN family m5C methyltransferases catalyze C5 methylation with roles in gene expression and disease
PMID: 30704115
9
NOP2 identified as diagnostic biomarker for sepsis with dysregulated expression in septic patients
PMID: 37701433
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.27Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
nonpapillary renal cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
gliomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
oral squamous cell carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
amyotrophic lateral sclerosisOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
acute myeloid leukemiaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
gastric adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
human papilloma virus infectionOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
childhood leukemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
frontotemporal dementiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pick diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
acute lymphoblastic leukemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
depressive disorderOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
neuroblastomaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
NOP56Protein interaction100%NOP58Protein interaction100%RPL30Protein interaction100%RPL18Protein interaction100%WDR36Protein interaction100%WDR46Protein interaction100%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Lung
100%
Liver
99%
Ovary
73%
Brain
29%
Bone Marrow
15%
Heart
2%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
NOP2NOP56NOP58RPL30RPL18WDR36WDR46
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB8FKV · 2.47 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.21Highly Constrained
pLIⓘ
1.00Intolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.12 [0.07–0.21]
RankingsWhere NOP2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #1,674of 20,598
    Most Researched236 · top 10%
  • #493of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.21 · top 5%
Genes detectedNOP2
Sources retrieved28 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
28▼
1
[Not Available].
PMID: 38566431
Adv Sci (Weinh) · 2024
1.00
2
Aberrant m5C hypermethylation mediates intrinsic resistance to gefitinib through NSUN2/YBX1/QSOX1 axis in EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer.
PMID: 37161388
Mol Cancer · 2023
0.90
3
NSUN2-mediated cytosine-5 methylation of FSP1 protects acute myeloid leukemia cells from ferroptosis.
PMID: 40691844
Mol Cancer · 2025
0.80
4
Mitochondrial RNA modifications shape metabolic plasticity in metastasis.
PMID: 35768510
Nature · 2022
0.80
5
NSUN5 Facilitates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Increasing SMAD3 Expression.
PMID: 39531371
Adv Sci (Weinh) · 2025
0.76