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Building specificity with nonspecific RNA-binding proteins

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 12, pages 645–653 (2005)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 September 2005

Abstract

Specificity is key to biological regulation. Two families of RNA binding proteins, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins and serine-arginine–rich proteins, were initially thought to have redundant or nonspecific biochemical functions. Recently, members of these families have been found as components of distinct regulatory complexes with highly specific and essential roles in mRNA metabolism. Here we discuss the basis for their functional specificity and the mechanisms of action of some of their characteristic protein domains.

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Figure 1: Dynamic nature of an mRNP during mRNA biogenesis.
Figure 2: Basis for the specificity of hnRNPs and SR proteins in alternative splicing.
Figure 3: Functions of the KH and RRM domains.
Figure 4: A model for the mechanism of action of the RS domain.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Karimpour for help with figures and literature search and J. Lykke-Andersen, T. Blumenthal, G. Das, F. Gebauer, B. Graveley, M. Green, R. Knight, A. Krainer, J. Manley, M. Sattler, C. Smith and members of our laboratories for insightful comments on the manuscript. We have cited recent references and reviews as extensive sources for original references; we apologize to our colleagues whose contributions could not be cited because of space constraints. This work was supported in part by grants from the US National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society to R.S.

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  1. Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, 80309, Colorado, USA

    Ravinder Singh

  2. Institució Catalana para la Reserca i Estudis Avançats, Centre de Regulació Genòmica and Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Passeig Marítim 37-49, Barcelona, 08003, Spain

    Juan Valcárcel

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  1. Ravinder Singh
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Correspondence to Ravinder Singh.

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Singh, R., Valcárcel, J. Building specificity with nonspecific RNA-binding proteins. Nat Struct Mol Biol 12, 645–653 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb961

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