Double-stranded RNA-binding Proteins and the Control of Protein Synthesis and Cell Growth

RNA-binding proteins play central roles in cellularmetabolism. They are responsible for the transcription,processing, localization, transport, and translation ofRNA; accordingly, they are essential for controlled cellgrowth and proper organismal development. Severalfamilies of RNA-binding proteins have been identifiedthat share common RNA-binding motifs. These includethe RRM (RNA recognition motif) proteins that primarily bind to single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) (Shamoo et al.1995), the zinc finger motif proteins that bind to duplexedDNA as well as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) (Finertyand Bass 1997, 1999; Yang et al. 1999), and the dsRNAbinding motif (dsRBM) proteins that bind to duplexedand highly structured RNA (Fierro-Monti and Mathews2000). The dsRBM is characterized by an α–β–β–β–αstructure that is involved in binding to dsRNA and alsoserves as a protein–protein interaction motif...