2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase, an oligodendrocyte-Schwann cell and myelin-associated enzyme of the nervous system.

2',3'-Cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase (E.C. 3.1.4.37; CNPase) is a myelin-associated enzyme. In central and peripheral nervous system tissues, the enzyme is localized almost exclusively in the two cell types that elaborate myelin, the oligodendrocyte and the Schwann cell, respectively. Nonneural sources of CNPase have also been described, but they all have much lower activities than those found in brain. The freshly isolated brain enzymes appear as closely spaced doublets at approximately 46 and 48 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The primary sequence appears highly conserved between these two proteins, designated CNP1 and CNP2. Major structural differences between these two proteins are most likely due to posttranslational modifications of the enzyme itself (certainly phosphorylation, possibly others) or to alternative splicing. The primary sequences of rat and bovine brain CNPase have now been deduced from the cDNA sequences and the enzymes appear to be unique. Current research suggests that CNPase is involved in the very rapid growth of myelin membrane during early oligodendrocyte membrane biogenesis and possibly maintenance. The absolute hydrolysis specificity, yielding 2'-mononucleotides from 2',3'-cyclic substrates, strongly suggests that CNPase is a nucleic acid enzyme, possibly related to RNA metabolism.