Snapc2, also known as small-nuclear RNA activating complex, polypeptide 2, is a vertebrate-specific subunit of the SNAP complex. The SNAP complex is crucial for regulating small nuclear RNA (snRNA) transcription. SnRNAs play essential roles in processes like splicing of pre-mRNA, which is fundamental for gene expression regulation in eukaryotes [2,3].

In zebrafish, knockdown of snapc2 disrupts the intrahepatic biliary network, similar to the phenotype observed in snapc4 mutant larvae where the physical interaction between Snapc2 and Snapc4 is disrupted. This indicates that the interaction between Snapc2 and Snapc4 is important for the expression of a subset of snRNAs and biliary epithelial cell survival [2]. In humans, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7788 within SNAPC2 in the Faroese cohort was significantly associated with panic disorder, suggesting its potential role in this mental disorder [1]. Also, SNAPC2 was identified as a candidate biomarker gene in endometriosis through machine-learning analysis of transcriptomics data [4], and as a potential biomarker for glioblastoma prognosis based on genome-wide methylation profiling [5].

In conclusion, Snapc2 is vital for snRNA-related biological processes. Its disruption in zebrafish shows its importance in maintaining the intrahepatic biliary network. In humans, it may be associated with mental disorders like panic disorder, and could serve as a biomarker in endometriosis and glioblastoma prognosis. The study of Snapc2 in different genetic models helps in understanding its role in various biological functions and disease conditions.

References:

1. Gregersen, Noomi O, Buttenschøn, Henriette N, Hedemand, Anne, Børglum, Anders D, Mors, Ole. . Association between genes on chromosome 19p13.2 and panic disorder. In Psychiatric genetics, 26, 287-292. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27610895/

2. Schaub, Madeline, Nussbaum, Justin, Verkade, Heather, Stainier, Didier Y R, Sakaguchi, Takuya F. 2011. Mutation of zebrafish Snapc4 is associated with loss of the intrahepatic biliary network. In Developmental biology, 363, 128-37. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.12.025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22222761/

3. Shah, Syed Zawar, Perry, Thomas N, Graziadei, Andrea, Ramsay, Ewan P, Vannini, Alessandro. 2025. Structural insights into distinct mechanisms of RNA polymerase II and III recruitment to snRNA promoters. In Nature communications, 16, 141. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55553-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39747245/

4. Akter, Sadia, Xu, Dong, Nagel, Susan C, Wilshire, Gilbert B, Joshi, Trupti. 2019. Machine Learning Classifiers for Endometriosis Using Transcriptomics and Methylomics Data. In Frontiers in genetics, 10, 766. doi:10.3389/fgene.2019.00766. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31552087/

5. Ma, Jiangong, Hou, Xin, Li, Mingxuan, Wang, Xiaobin, He, Cheng. . Genome-wide methylation profiling reveals new biomarkers for prognosis prediction of glioblastoma. In Journal of cancer research and therapeutics, 11 Suppl 2, C212-5. doi:10.4103/0973-1482.168188. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26506879/