Longevity Assurance Homolog 2 (LASS2)

LASS2 has sequence similarity to yeast longevity assurance gene 1. Mutation or overexpression of the related gene in yeast has been shown to alter yeast lifespan. The human protein may play a role in the regulation of cell growth. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been described.

The deduced 230-amino acid protein is 29% identical to LASS1 over 224 amino acids. It has 4 transmembrane helices (2 fewer than most Lag1 homologs), a Lag1 motif, and a C-terminal acidic domain. Northern blot analysis revealed expression of a 2.4-kb transcript in kidney and liver, with lower levels in brain, heart, placenta, and lung.Expression of LASS2 in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines led to suppression of cancer cell growth.