RNA-binding proteins are proteins that bind to the double or single stranded RNA in cells and participate in forming ribonucleoprotein complexes. RBPs contain various structural motifs, such as RNA recognition motif (RRM), dsRNA binding domain, zinc finger and others. They are cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins. However, since most mature RNA is exported from the nucleus relatively quickly, most RBPs in the nucleus exist as complexes of protein and pre-mRNA called heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein particles (hnRNPs). RBPs have crucial roles in various cellular processes such as: cellular function, transport and localization. They especially play a major role in post-transcriptional control of RNAs, such as: splicing, polyadenylation, mRNA stabilization, mRNA localization and translation. Eukaryotic cells express diverse RBPs with unique RNA-binding activity and protein–protein interaction. According to the Eukaryotic RBP Database (EuRBPDB), there are 2961 genes encoding RBPs in humans. During evolution, the diversity of RBPs greatly increased with the increase in the number of introns. Diversity enabled eukaryotic cells to utilize RNA exons in various arrangements, giving rise to a unique RNP (ribonucleoprotein) for each RNA. Although RBPs have a crucial role in post-transcriptional regulation in gene expression, relatively few RBPs have been studied systematically.It has now become clear that RNA–RBP interactions play important roles in many biological processes among organisms.
The Let-7 microRNA precursor was identified from a study of developmental timing in C. elegans, and was later shown to be part of a much larger class of non-coding RNAs termed microRNAs. miR-98 microRNA precursor from human is a let-7 family member. Let-7 miRNAs have now been predicted or experimentally confirmed in a wide range of species (MIPF0000002). miRNAs are initially transcribed in long transcripts called primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs), which are processed in the nucleus by Drosha and Pasha to hairpin structures of about 70 nucleotide. These precursors (pre-miRNAs) are exported to the cytoplasm by exportin5, where they are subsequently processed by the enzyme Dicer to a ~22 nucleotide mature miRNA. The involvement of Dicer in miRNA processing demonstrates a relationship with the phenomenon of RNA interference.
The miR-24 microRNA precursor is a small non-coding RNA molecule that regulates gene expression. microRNAs are transcribed as ~70 nucleotide precursors and subsequently processed by the Dicer enzyme to give a mature ~22 nucleotide product. In this case the mature sequence comes from the 3' arm of the precursor. The mature products are thought to have regulatory roles through complementarity to mRNA. miR-24 is conserved in various species, and is clustered with miR-23 and miR-27, on human chromosome 9 and 19. Recently, miR-24 has been shown to suppress expression of two crucial cell cycle control genes, E2F2 and Myc in hematopoietic differentiation and also to promote keratinocyte differentiation by repressing actin-cytoskeleton regulators PAK4, Tsk5 and ArhGAP19.
High-mobility group AT-hook 2, also known as HMGA2, is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the HMGA2 gene.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HNRNPA1 gene. Mutations in hnRNP A1 are causative of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the syndrome multisystem proteinopathy.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HNRNPK gene. It is found in the cell nucleus that binds to pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) as a component of heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein particles. The simian homolog is known as protein H16. Both proteins bind to single-stranded DNA as well as to RNA and can stimulate the activity of RNA polymerase II, the protein responsible for most gene transcription. The relative affinities of the proteins for DNA and RNA vary with solution conditions and are inversely correlated, so that conditions promoting strong DNA binding result in weak RNA binding.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HNRNPA2B1 gene.
RAD52 homolog , also known as RAD52, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the RAD52 gene.
Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IGF2BP1 gene.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HNRNPF gene.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein L is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HNRNPL gene.
Protein CASC3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CASC3 gene.
Double-stranded RNA-binding protein Staufen homolog 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the STAU2 gene.
Staufen is a protein product of a maternally expressed gene first identified in Drosophila melanogaster. The protein has been implicated in helping regulate genes important in determination of gradients that set up the anterior posterior axis such as bicoid and oskar. Staufen proteins, abbreviated Stau, are necessary for cell localization during the oogenesis and zygotic development. It is involved in targeting of the messenger RNA encoding these genes to the correct pole of the egg cell.
In molecular biology, miR-137 is a short non-coding RNA molecule that functions to regulate the expression levels of other genes by various mechanisms. miR-137 is located on human chromosome 1p22 and has been implicated to act as a tumor suppressor in several cancer types including colorectal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma via cell cycle control.
In molecular biology, miR-184 microRNA is a short non-coding RNA molecule. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as posttranscriptional regulators of expression levels of other genes by several mechanisms. Several targets for miR-184 have been described, including that of mediators of neurological development, apoptosis and it has been suggested that miR-184 plays an essential role in development.
In molecular biology miR-203 is a short non-coding RNA molecule. MicroRNAs function to regulate the expression levels of other genes by several mechanisms, such as translational repression and Argonaute-catalyzed messenger RNA cleavage. miR-203 has been identified as a skin-specific microRNA, and it forms an expression gradient that defines the boundary between proliferative epidermal basal progenitors and terminally differentiating suprabasal cells. It has also been found upregulated in psoriasis and differentially expressed in some types of cancer.
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) was originally identified and partially characterised in the 1970s, and is an abundant modification in mRNA and DNA. It is found within some viruses, and most eukaryotes including mammals, insects, plants and yeast. It is also found in tRNA, rRNA, and small nuclear RNA (snRNA) as well as several long non-coding RNA, such as Xist.
Zinc finger protein 226 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ZNF226 gene.
