Musashi1 (Msi1) is an RNA-binding protein expressed in neural progenitor cells and neural stem cells. Msi1 is the mammalian homolog of Drosophila Musashi. The gene encoding human Msi1 encodes a 362 amino acid protein. In murine embryonic neural progenitor cells, Msi1 localizes to the cytoplasm and is downregulated during differentiation. Msi1 binds to NUMB, which encodes a membrane-associated antagonist of Notch signaling. Msi1 appears to function in the proliferation and maintenance of stem cell populations of the central nervous system. In addition to its usefulness as a marker for neural progenitor cells in normal human brains, Msi1 is also a marker for human gliomas. In rats, Msi1 is expressed in Sertoli cells of the testis and granulosa cells of the ovary.
