PLoS ONE 2012-01-01

The N-terminus of FILIA forms an atypical KH domain with a unique extension involved in interaction with RNA.

Juke Wang, Mengyuan Xu, Kai Zhu, Lei Li, Xinqi Liu

Index: PLoS ONE 7(1) , e30209, (2012)

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Abstract

FILIA is a member of the recently identified oocyte/embryo expressed gene family in eutherian mammals, which is characterized by containing an N-terminal atypical KH domain. Here we report the structure of the N-terminal fragment of FILIA (FILIA-N), which represents the first reported three-dimensional structure of a KH domain in the oocyte/embryo expressed gene family of proteins. The structure of FILIA-N revealed a unique N-terminal extension beyond the canonical KH region, which plays important roles in interaction with RNA. By co-incubation with the lysates of mice ovaries, FILIA and FILIA-N could sequester specific RNA components, supporting the critical roles of FILIA in regulation of RNA transcripts during mouse oogenesis and early embryogenesis.