Characterization of a novel transcript variant of human STAU1 gene

Human STAU1 is one member of the family of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-binding proteins. It is thought to function in transporting mRNA, controlling translation and eliciting mRNA decay in neurons, and to function in infection of influenza virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Four transcripts coding two isoforms have been identified before. In this study, we have isolated a novel transcript of STAU1, coding a novel isoform that has six amino acids more (SFPLKQ) than isoform a. In order to examine the tissue distribution of this novel isoform, we have performed RT-PCR experiments and the analysis showed that it was highly expressed in heart, liver, kidney and pancreas.