Figure 1.

Schematic representation of ENO1's multiple cellular functions, varied by its localization

In the nucleus, MBP1 (c-MYC promoter binding protein), the alternative translation variant of ENO1, suppresses c-MYC and promotes the transcriptional level of ENO1 mRNA. The cytoplasm is the major expression site of ENO1, where ENO1 catalyzes glycolysis (exploited by cancer to promote tumor cell proliferation), maintains mitochondrial membrane stability, regulates signaling pathways, and reorganizes the cytoskeleton. When localized on the cell surface, ENO1 serves as a plasminogen receptor, which converts plasminogen into plasmin (exploited by cancer to promote metastasis, migration, and invasion). In addition, ENO1 can also partake components of exosomes.