Mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the UCP2 gene.^[5]

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UCP2
Identifiers
Aliases	UCP2, BMIQ4, SLC25A8, UCPH, uncoupling protein 2
External IDs	OMIM: 601693; MGI: 109354; HomoloGene: 2516; GeneCards: UCP2; OMA:UCP2 - orthologs
Gene location (Human) Chr. Chromosome 11 (human)[1] Band 11q13.4 Start 73,974,672 bp[1] End 73,983,246 bp[1]
Gene location (Mouse) Chr. Chromosome 7 (mouse)[2] Band 7 E2|7 54.36 cM Start 100,142,544 bp[2] End 100,151,227 bp[2]
RNA expression pattern Bgee Human Mouse (ortholog) Top expressed in bronchial epithelial cell right uterine tube spleen appendix blood trabecular bone palpebral conjunctiva monocyte lymph node bone marrow cells Top expressed in blood epithelium of stomach lip pyloric antrum mucous cell of stomach molar duodenum spleen bone marrow thymus More reference expression data BioGPS More reference expression data
Gene ontology Molecular function protein binding oxidative phosphorylation uncoupler activity transmembrane transporter activity Cellular component cytoplasm membrane mitochondrial membranes mitochondrial inner membrane integral component of membrane mitochondrion Biological process positive regulation of cell death response to hypoxia response to superoxide response to fatty acid female pregnancy cellular response to amino acid starvation negative regulation of insulin secretion involved in cellular response to glucose stimulus human ageing negative regulation of apoptotic process response to glucose regulation of mitochondrial membrane potential liver regeneration cellular response to hormone stimulus cellular response to insulin stimulus cellular response to glucose stimulus response to cold mitochondrial transmembrane transport adaptive thermogenesis mitochondrial transport proton transmembrane transport positive regulation of cold-induced thermogenesis Sources:Amigo / QuickGO
Orthologs Species Human Mouse Entrez 7351 22228 Ensembl ENSG00000175567 ENSMUSG00000033685 UniProt P55851 P70406 RefSeq (mRNA) NM_003355 NM_011671 RefSeq (protein) NP_003346 NP_001368872 NP_001368873 NP_001368874 NP_001368876 NP_001368877 NP_001368878 NP_001368879 NP_035801 Location (UCSC) Chr 11: 73.97 – 73.98 Mb Chr 7: 100.14 – 100.15 Mb PubMed search [3] [4]
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Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCP) are members of the larger family of mitochondrial anion carrier proteins (MACP). UCPs separate, or uncouple, oxidative phosphorylation from ATP synthesis by dissipating the mitochondrial membrane potential as heat, also referred to as the mitochondrial proton leak. UCPs facilitate the transfer of anions from the inner to the outer mitochondrial membrane and the return transfer of protons from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane. They also reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential in mammalian cells, which reduces production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

In contrast to UCP1 and UCP3, which are primarily expressed in adipose and smooth muscle, UCP2 is expressed on many different tissues^[6] including the kidney, liver, GI tract, brain, and skeletal muscle.

The exact mechanisms of anion transfer by UCPs are not known.^[7] UCPs contain the three homologous protein domains of MACPs. Although it was originally thought to play a role in non-shivering thermogenesis, obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis, it now appears that the main function of UCP2 is the control of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species.^[8]

Chromosomal order is 5'-UCP3-UCP2-3'.^[9]

• Uncoupling protein