Genome-Wide Analysis of Histidine Repeats Reveals Their Role in the Localization of Human Proteins to the Nuclear Speckles Compartment
2009

The Role of Histidine Repeats in Protein Localization to Nuclear Speckles

Sample size: 86 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Salichs Eulàlia, Ledda Alice, Mularoni Loris, Albà M. Mar, de la Luna Susana

Primary Institution: Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG), Barcelona, Spain

Hypothesis

Histidine repeats serve as a targeting signal for the localization of proteins to nuclear speckles.

Conclusion

Histidine repeats are identified as a novel targeting signal for the localization of proteins to nuclear speckles, influencing their dynamic behavior in the nucleus.

Supporting Evidence

  • 86 human proteins with five or more histidine residues were identified.
  • 15 out of 22 nuclear proteins with histidine repeats localized to nuclear speckles.
  • The presence of histidine repeats was necessary for the localization of certain proteins to nuclear speckles.

Takeaway

This study found that certain proteins have stretches of histidine that help them go to specific areas in the cell called nuclear speckles, which are important for processing RNA.

Methodology

The study involved a bioinformatics analysis to identify proteins with histidine repeats and experimental validation using fluorescence microscopy in HeLa cells.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on a specific subset of proteins and may not generalize to all proteins with histidine repeats.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.003

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pgen.1000397

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