Tropomyosin beta chain is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TPM2 gene. This gene encodes beta-tropomyosin, a member of the actin filament binding protein family, and mainly expressed in slow, type 1 muscle fibers. Mutations in this gene can alter the expression of other sarcomeric tropomyosin proteins, and cause cap disease, nemaline myopathy and distal arthrogryposis syndromes. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.
Binds to actin filaments in muscle and non-muscle cells. Plays a central role, in association with the troponin complex, in the calcium dependent regulation of vertebrate striated muscle contraction. Smooth muscle contraction is regulated by interaction with caldesmon. In non-muscle cells is implicated in stabilizing cytoskeleton actin filaments.