RNA Binding Motif Protein 23 (RBM23)

RBM23 encodes a member of the U2AF-like family of RNA binding proteins. This protein interacts with some steroid nuclear receptors, localizes to the promoter of a steroid- responsive gene, and increases transcription of steroid-responsive transcriptional reporters in a hormone-dependent manner. It is also implicated in the steroid receptor-dependent regulation of alternative splicing. Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. The RNA-binding motif region shared in all the predicted proteins is highly homologous to that of Drosophila couch potato proteins implicated in the regulation of peripheral nervous system development in the embryo. Initial studies in gene cloning and Northern analysis revealed that the transcripts were rather short (1.5 kb) despite the finding that the gene was as long as 230 kb.