InterPro domain: IPR034775

These sequences represent the ELAV/Hu subfamily of splicing factors found in metazoa. ELAV stands for the Drosophila Embryonic lethal abnormalvisual protein [ 1 ]. ELAV-like splicing factors are also known in human as HuB (ELAV-like protein 2), HuC (ELAV-like protein 3, HuD (LAV-like protein 4) and HuR (ELAV-like protein 1). HuR is ubiquitously expressed whereas HuB, HuC and HuD are neuron-specific [ 2 ]. HuD stands for the human paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis antigen D of which there are 4 variants in human [ 3 ]. These genes are most closely related to the sex-lethal subfamily of splicing factors found in Dipteran insects ( IPR006546 ).

This entry represents the RNA recognition motif 1 (RRM1) of the Hu proteins and Drosophila embryonic lethal abnormal vision (ELAV) protein, which share high homology.

1. The elav gene product of Drosophila, required in neurons, has three RNP consensus motifs. Science 242, 1570-2
2. Neuron-specific ELAV/Hu proteins suppress HuR mRNA during neuronal differentiation by alternative polyadenylation. Nucleic Acids Res. 40, 2734-46
3. HuD, a paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis antigen, contains RNA-binding domains and is homologous to Elav and Sex-lethal. Cell 67, 325-33