核不均一核糖核蛋白(heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins,hnRNPs)是一类结合DNA和RNA的核蛋白,并能在核质间穿梭.A/B型hnRNPs(heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins,hnRNP A/B)是hnRNPs中研究最为清楚的一大类别,生物信息学分析hnRNP A/B可以区分成A和D两个亚群,已鉴定的D亚群主要成员包括hnRNP AB,D和DL.hnRNP A/B的D亚群均含有2个保守的RNA结合结构域(RNA binding domain,RBD)和1个Gly富集区(glycine-rich domain,GRD),成员间的主要区别在于N端和C端的长度和序列不同.D亚群与pre-mRNA和其它蛋白质结合成微粒系统,参与pre-mRNA的加工、稳定、核输出以及翻译过程.此外,D亚群也能结合单链和双链DNA,参与转录起始和端粒的稳定.因此,hnRNP A/B的D亚群在各个阶段影响基因的表达,在神经系统发育、肿瘤的发生发展及衰老过程中发挥着多样性的功能.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins(hnRNPs) compose a kind of DNA and RNA binding proteins which shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm.The A/B subfamily of hnRNPs is well characterized among all type hnRNPs and is classified into A-subgroup and D-subgroup by bioinformatics analyses.D-subgroup hnRNPs A/B include hnRNP AB,D and DL,all of which contain two conserved tandem RNA-binding domains(RBD) and a glycine-rich domain(GRD) near the carboxyl-terminus but differ in the length and the sequence of N-or C-terminus.D-subgroup of hnRNP A/B,packaged with pre-mRNA and other proteins into hnRNP particles,is involved in many processes such as pre-mRNA splicing,stabilization,nuclear export,and protein translation.D-subgroup can also bind single-or double-strand DNA,suggesting potential roles in DNA replication and repair,transcription initiation and telomere maintenance.Taken together,these results indicate that member of hnRNPs A/B D-subgroup participate in every step of gene expression and play critical roles in neural development,tumorigenesis as well as progression,and aging processes.