Angiotensin II receptor type 2

Angiotensin II receptor type 2, also known as the AT2 receptor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the AGTR2 gene. Angiotensin II is a potent pressor hormone and a primary regulator of aldosterone secretion. It is an important effector controlling blood pressure and volume in the cardiovascular system. It acts through at least two types of receptors termed AT1 and AT2. AGTR2 belongs to a family 1 of G protein-coupled receptors. It is an integral membrane protein. It plays a role in the central nervous system and cardiovascular functions that are mediated by the renin–angiotensin system. This receptor mediates programmed cell death (apoptosis). In adults, it is highly expressed in myometrium with lower levels in adrenal gland and fallopian tube. It is highly expressed in fetal kidney and intestine. The human AGTR2 gene is composed of three exons and spans at least 5 kb. Exons 1 and 2 encode for 5' untranslated mRNA sequence and exon 3 harbors the entire uninterrupted open reading frame. Stimulation of AT2 by the selective agonist CGP 42112A increases mucosal nitric oxide production. Model organisms have been used in the study of AGTR2 function. A conditional knockout mouse line, called Agtr2tm1a(EUCOMM)Wtsi was generated as part of the International Knockout Mouse Consortium program — a high-throughput mutagenesis project to generate and distribute animal models of disease to interested scientists — at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Male and female animals underwent a standardized phenotypic screen to determine the effects of deletion. Twenty one tests were carried out on mutant mice, but no significant abnormalities were observed. Angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AGTR2) gene is a protein coding gene responsible for encoding AGTR2, the integral membrane protein that binds to two different G-protein coupled receptors. AGTR2 has recently been discovered to play a role in modifying lung disease. This receptor functions to mediate signaling in lung fibrosis and regulate nitric oxide synthase expression in pulmonary endothelium.