核不均一核糖核蛋白(heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein,hnRNPs)是一组RNA结合蛋白,它们与人体健康密切相关,参与肿瘤发生、病毒感染、细胞凋亡等多种病理生理过程的调节.hnRNP U是其中分子量最大的磷酸化蛋白质,对基因的转录、定位和表达特别是性染色体的表观失活过程发挥着重要作用.hnRNP U多以DNA/RNA蛋白复合物形式参与细胞功能调节.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family has recently become a hot spot in the field of RNA-binding proteins, hnRNPs are closely associated with human health. They have multiple essential functions in various pathological and physiological processes such as tumorigenesis, viral infection and cell apoptosis, hnRNP U, the maximum weigt phosphoprotein among hnRNPs, plays a crucial role in transcription, gene localization as well as epigenetically inactivation of X chromosome. Generally, hnRNP U regulates cell function in the formation of DNA/ RNA-protein complex. This article introduces several types of hnRNP U complex and their structure and function.