Apolipoprotein B mRNA Editing Enzyme Catalytic Polypeptide 3F (APOBEC3F)

APOBEC3F is one of seven related genes or pseudogenes found in a cluster, thought to result from gene duplication, on chromosome 22. Members of the cluster encode proteins that are structurally and functionally related to the C to U RNA-editing cytidine deaminase APOBEC1. It is thought that the proteins may be RNA editing enzymes and have roles in growth or cell cycle control. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified. The N-terminal half of the deduced 373-amino acid protein has a cytidine deaminase active site with an insert, followed by a linker region and a pseudoactive site. The C-terminal half is a duplication of the active site, insert, and linker region. APOBEC3F contains conserved zinc-binding ligands, an active-site glutamate required for proton shuttling, and 2 aromatic residues required for RNA binding.