Le. Brennan et al., Characterisation and mitochondrial localisation of AUH, an AU-specific RNA-binding enoyl-CoA hydratase, GENE, 228(1-2), 1999, pp. 85-91
AU-rich elements function as instability elements which direct rapid mRNA d
egradation. AUH protein exhibits an AU-specific RNA-binding property and an
intrinsic enoyl-CoA hydratase activity and may therefore function to link
mRNA decay to metabolic processes (Nakagawa et al., 1995. Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 92, 2051-2055). The sequence encoding the murine protein, muAUH,
was established by cloning, and the corresponding polypeptide predicted to
have a molecular mass of 37 kDa. As shown for the human protein, muAUH is e
xpressed in a 32 kDa form and there is 94% homology between the two species
. Recombinant muAUH was shown to be an RNA-binding enoyl-CoA hydratase. All
murine cells studied contained a single AUH transcript of approx. 1.7 kb a
nd an investigation of tissue-specific expression revealed highest levels i
n kidney, skeletal muscle, heart, brain and spleen. It was further determin
ed, using immunoelectron microscopy, that AUH is located in the mitochondri
a of mouse cells. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.