title: An Ancient Family of RNA-Binding Proteins: Still Important!
abstract: RNA-binding proteins are important modulators of mRNA stability, a crucial process that determines the ultimate cellular levels of mRNAs and their encoded proteins. The tristetraprolin (TTP) family of RNA-binding proteins appeared early in the evolution of eukaryotes, and has persisted in modern eukaryotes. The domain structures and biochemical functions of family members from widely divergent lineages are remarkably similar, but their mRNA 'targets' can be very different, even in closely related species. Recent gene knockout studies in species as distantly related as plants, flies, yeasts, and mice have demonstrated crucial roles for these proteins in a wide variety of physiological processes. Inflammatory and hematopoietic phenotypes in mice have suggested potential therapeutic approaches for analogous human disorders.
authors.affiliation: Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Lalith
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.affiliation: Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA; Departments of Biochemistry and Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Electronic address: black009@niehs.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Perry J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Blackshear
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins