Zinc Finger CCCH-Type Containing Protein 14 (ZC3H14)

ZC3H14 belongs to a family of poly(A)-binding proteins that influence gene expression by regulating mRNA stability, nuclear export, and translation. Isoform-1 to -4 range in size from 82 to 64 kD and differed in the linker region between their N-terminal pro-trp-ile (PWI)-like fold domain and C-terminal zinc fingers. Isoform-4 results from replacement of the first 9 exons by intron 8, and the encoded protein contains the C-terminal zinc fingers but an extended N-terminal helical domain replaces the nuclear localization signals and PWI-like region. All variants were widely expressed. Most variants were also expressed in HEK293 cells. Fluorescence-tagged ZC3H14 and endogenous proteins containing the nuclear localization motifs localized to nuclear speckles in transfected HeLa cells, while isoform-4 localized to the cytoplasm.