ELAVL1/HuR, like other ELAVL proteins, has a short N-terminal region followed by 2 RNA-binding motifs, a basic linker domain, and a third RNA-binding motif. The basic hinge region bears a novel nuclear shuttling sequence which is implicated in the nucleocytoplasmic HuR shuttling. Unlike its neuron-specific ELAV relatives (HuB, HuC and HuD), HuR itself is ubiquitously expressed. Structure-function analyses of HuR have shown that it binds to AU-rich mRNA sequences in the nucleus and may be involved in their nuclear export.
Posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression is a ribonucleoprotein-driven process, which involves RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and non-coding RNAs that affect splicing, nuclear export, subcellular localization, mRNA decay and translation. The RNP Immunoprecipitation-Chip (RIP-Chip), RIP-Seq and RIP-RTPCR allow the identification of multiple RNA targets of RBPs globally and within the context of a cell extract. Antibodies specific to the RNA binding protein of interest are used to co-immunoprecipitate the RNA binding protein and the associated subset of mRNAs. The mRNA content is interrogated using standard microarray or sequencing technology. RIP-Certified Antibody is validated for use in RNP Immunoprecipitation (RIP) in conjunction with the RIP-Assay Kit distributed from MBL. Its ability to immunoprecipitate mRNAs and RBPs complex was confirmed by quantitative and qualitative analysis on NanoDrop, Bioanalyzer and RT-PCR or microarray.