Journal Club: In the January issue of J. Cellular Physiology, Arasaki and Hayata from the Tokyo University of Science studied the mechanisms of nuclear localization of cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein 4 (Cpeb4). Cpeb4 is an RNA-binding protein that regulates splicing of the Id2 gene in osteoclast differentiation. They used leptomycin B, a nuclear export inhibitor and showed that Cpeb4 accumulated in the nucleus. The RNA recognition motif 7 of Cpeb4 was found to be essential for nuclear localization.
Focus Biomolecules also offers reagents and modulators for RNA research, including biotin isoxazole for precipitating RNA binding proteins.