Bethyl Laboratories, Inc.

Overview

The RNA recognition motif (RRM) is a highly conserved RNA-binding domain and is present in one, two, or multiple copies in RNA-binding proteins. The RRM consists of a 90 amino acid domain that contains two consensus sequences termed ribonucleoprotein (RNP) domains. The first RNP is an eight amino acid sequence (RNP1) centrally located in the 90 amino acid RRM, while the second is a six amino acid sequence (RNP2) located at the N-terminus of the RRM. Proteins with an RRM motif are abundant and found mostly in eukaryotes. They are diverse in structure and function and are involved in all post-transcriptional processes such as pre-mRNA processing, splicing, RNA editing, mRNA export, translational regulation, and mRNA stability and degradation. In recent years, the RRM has been shown to also be involved in protein-protein interactions. Structural studies of RRM domains and the complexes they form with RNA and proteins have given some insight into the determinants of their binding specificity. Current information on RRM-containing proteins reveals that the role of the RRM in the cell may extend beyond a simple component of RNA recognition. Although a multitude of proteins bearing an RRM motif have been identified, the specific functions of many remain uncharacterized. Further biochemical and structural studies are needed to understand the evolution and functional diversity of RRM-containing proteins.