Family With Sequence Similarity 61, Member A (FAM61A)

LSM14A encodes a 463-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 50.5 kD that contains an N-terminal LSM domain and 2 RGG-rich domains flanking an FDF motif at the C terminus. Proteins containing LSM domains comprise a family of RNA-binding proteins; RGG-rich domains are found in RNA-binding proteins including human HNRNPU, fibrillarin, and nucleolin, and FDF motifs have been proposed to interact with RNA or RNP complex members. A series of transfections of HEP2 cells with LSM14A showed that LSM14A localizes to P-bodies, and both the RGG domains and the FDF motif are required for this localization. Database searches showed that LSM14A homologs exist in C. elegans, Drosophila, Pleurodeles (newt), and Xenopus.