LUC7 Like Protein (LUC7L)

LUC7L may represent a mammalian heterochromatic gene, encoding a putative RNA-binding protein similar to the yeast Luc7p subunit of the U1 snRNP splicing complex that is normally required for 5-prime splice site selection.The longest deduced protein contains 371 amino acids and is homologous to the S. cerevisiae Luc7 protein. LUC7L has an N-terminal conserved region followed by a C3H zinc finger, a coiled-coil domain, a C2H2 RNA-binding zinc finger, 2 overlapping bipartite nuclear localization signals, and a C-terminal RS/RE (arginine-serine-rich and arginine-glutamate-rich) motif. Northern blot analysis revealed 2 predominant transcripts of about 3.5 and 2.5 kb in all tissues examined. Several additional transcripts of 1.4 to 1.6 kb were detected. The relative expression of the splicing isoforms varied within and between tissues.