Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) constitute a set of poly-peptides that contribute to mRNA transcription and pre-mRNA processing as well as mature mRNA transport to the cytoplasm and translation. They also bind heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA), which are the transcripts produced by RNA polymerase II. There are approximately 20 known hnRNP proteins, and their complexes are the major constituents of the spliceosome. The majority of hnRNP protein components are localized to the nucleus; however some shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The A/B subfamily of hnRNPs include A1, A2/B1, A3 and A0, and in Xenopus, hnRNP A1, A2 and A3 are ubiquitously expressed throughout development as well as in adult tissues. hnRNP A1 and A2/B1 regulate the processing of pre-mRNA by directly antagonizing the association of various splicing factors and by influencing the splice site selection on pre-mRNA. The hnRNP A0 gene is distinct from the other A/B family members, and it encodes a low-abundance protein, which is implicated in mRNA stability.
