NIT2

NIT2, also known as Nitrile Hydrolase Family Member 2, has an alternative name: HEL-S-8a. NIT2 belongs to the Nitrile Hydrolase superfamily and contains a conserved nitrile hydrolase domain, making it an ω-amidase. NIT2 interacts with bromodomain-containing protein 1 (BRD1), inhibiting BRD1/HBO1-mediated histone H3K14 acetylation and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) gene expression, thereby suppressing chemotherapy resistance. NIT2 is a potential tumor suppressor that can induce cell cycle arrest; its expression is negatively correlated with H3K14ac and OXPHOS, while positively correlated with chemotherapy response and prognosis in gastric cancer patients. The absence or low expression of NIT2 leads to 5-FU resistance in gastric cancer cell lines, patient-derived gastric cancer organoids, and xenografted tumors.