The steroid receptor RNA activator is the first functional RNA encoding a protein.
The steroid receptor RNA activator (SRA) has previously been characterized as belonging to the growing family of functional non-coding RNAs. However, we recently reported the Western blot detection of a putative endogenous SRA protein (SRAP) in breast cancer cells. Herein, we successfully suppressed the expression of this protein through specific RNA interference assay, unequivocally confirming its existence. Moreover, using database searches and Western blot analysis, we also showed that SRAP is highly conserved among chordata. Overall, our results suggest that SRA is the first example of a new class of functional RNAs also able to encode a protein.
Chooniedass-Kothari
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Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, P309 Pathology Building, 770 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E 0W3.
Emberley
E
E
Hamedani
M K
MK
Troup
S
S
Wang
X
X
Czosnek
A
A
Hube
F
F
Mutawe
M
M
Watson
P H
PH
Leygue
E
E
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C470693:Sra1 protein, rat; D014157:Transcription Factors; C405423:steroid receptor RNA activator