SESN2

Function

This gene encodes a member of the sestrin family of PA26-related proteins. The encoded protein may function in the regulation of cell growth and survival. This protein may be involved in cellular response to different stress conditions. The Sestrins constitute a family of evolutionarily-conserved stress-inducible proteins that suppress oxidative stress and regulate adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (AMPK)- mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. By virtue of these activities, the Sestrins serve as important regulators of metabolic homeostasis. Accordingly, inactivation of Sestrin genes in invertebrates resulted in diverse metabolic pathologies, including oxidative damage, fat accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle degeneration that resemble accelerated tissue aging.