Structure of human α-enolase (hENO1), a multifunctional glycolytic enzyme

Abstract

Aside from its enzymatic function in the glycolytic pathway, alpha-enolase (ENO1) has been implicated in numerous diseases, including metastatic cancer, autoimmune disorders, ischaemia and bacterial infection. The disease-related roles of ENO1 are mostly attributed to its immunogenic capacity, DNA-binding ability and plasmin(ogen) receptor function, which are significantly affected by its three-dimensional structure and surface properties, rather than its enzymatic activity. Here, the crystal structure of human ENO1 (hENO1) is presented at 2.2 A resolution. Despite its high sequence similarity to other enolases, the hENO1 structure exhibits distinct surface properties, explaining its various activities, including plasmin(ogen) and DNA binding.