title: Structure and function of nematode RNA-binding proteins.
abstract: RNA-binding proteins are critical effectors of gene expression. They guide mRNA localization, translation, and stability, and potentially play a role in regulating mRNA synthesis. The structural basis for RNA recognition by RNA-binding proteins is the key to understand how they target specific transcripts for regulation. Compared to other metazoans, nematode genomes contain a significant expansion in several RNA-binding protein families, including Pumilio-FBF (PUF), TTP-like zinc finger (TZF), and Argonaute-like (AGO) proteins. Genetic data suggest that individual members of each family have distinct functions, presumably due to sequence variations that alter RNA-binding specificity or protein interaction partners. In this review, we highlight example structures and identify the variable regions that likely contribute to functional divergence in nematodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaymak
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ryder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009348:Nematoda; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins