RNA binding motif protein 9 (RBM9), also known as Rbfox2, is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
which in humans is encoded by the ''RBM9''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
.
Function
Rbfox2 is one of several human genes similar to the ''
C. elegans
''Caenorhabditis elegans'' () is a free-living transparent nematode about 1 mm in length that lives in temperate soil environments. It is the type species of its genus. The name is a blend of the Greek ''caeno-'' (recent), ''rhabditis'' (r ...
'' gene Fox-1. This gene encodes an RNA binding protein that is thought to be a key regulator of
alternative splicing
Alternative splicing, or alternative RNA splicing, or differential splicing, is an alternative splicing process during gene expression that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins. In this process, particular exons of a gene may be ...
in the nervous system and other cell types. Rbfox2 and the related protein
Rbfox1 bind to conserved (U)GCAUG RNA motifs in the introns adjacent to many alternatively spliced exons and promotes inclusion or exclusion of the alternative exon in mature transcripts.
The protein also interacts with the estrogen receptor 1 transcription factor and regulates estrogen receptor 1 transcriptional activity. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.
Rbfox2, as determined by CLIP-seq, binds near alternatively spliced exons and regulates the inclusion or exclusion of exons during alternative splicing by binding in introns either downstream (inclusion) or upstream (exon skipping) of exons. Its presence is important for stem cell survival and knockdowns of Rbfox2 activate markers for
apoptosis
Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...
.
See also
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Alternative splicing
Alternative splicing, or alternative RNA splicing, or differential splicing, is an alternative splicing process during gene expression that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins. In this process, particular exons of a gene may be ...
*
RNA-binding protein
RNA-binding proteins (often abbreviated as RBPs) 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 ( ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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