RNA recognition motif 2 (RRM2) found in serine/arginine-rich splicing factor SRSF1, SRSF4 and similar proteins
This subfamily corresponds to the RRM2 of several serine/arginine (SR) proteins that have been classified into two subgroups. The first subgroup consists of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 4 (SRSF4 or SRp75 or SFRS4), serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 5 (SRSF5 or SRp40 or SFRS5 or HRS) and serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 6 (SRSF6 or SRp55). The second subgroup is composed of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1 or ASF-1), serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 9 (SRSF9 or SRp30C) and plant pre-mRNA-splicing factor SF2 (SR1). These SR proteins are mainly involved in regulating constitutive and alternative pre-mRNA splicing. They also have been implicated in transcription, genomic stability, mRNA export and translation. All SR proteins in this family, except SRSF5, undergo nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, suggesting their widespread roles in gene expression. These SR proteins share a common domain architecture comprising two N-terminal RNA recognition motifs (RRMs), also termed RBDs (RNA binding domains) or RNPs (ribonucleoprotein domains), followed by a C-terminal RS domains rich in serine-arginine dipeptides. Both domains can directly contact with RNA. The RRMs appear to determine the binding specificity and the SR domain also mediates protein-protein interactions. In addition, this subfamily includes the yeast nucleolar protein 3 (Npl3p), also termed mitochondrial targeting suppressor 1 protein, or nuclear polyadenylated RNA-binding protein 1. It is a major yeast RNA-binding protein that competes with 3'-end processing factors, such as Rna15, for binding to the nascent RNA, protecting the transcript from premature termination and coordinating transcription termination and the packaging of the fully processed transcript for export. It specifically recognizes a class of G/U-rich RNAs. Npl3p is a multi-domain protein with two RRMs, separated by a short linker and a C-terminal domain rich in glycine, arginine and serine residues.