DEAD Box Polypeptide 17 (DDX17)

DDX17 encodes a DEAD box protein, which is an ATPase activated by a variety of RNA species, but not by dsDNA. This protein, and that encoded by DDX5 gene, are more closely related to each other than to any other member of the DEAD box family. Several alternatively spliced transcripts encoding different isoforms, some of which use non-AUG (CUG) translation initiation codon, have been described for this gene.DDX17 contains 4 N-terminal RGG box repeats followed by a central conserved DEAD box domain, a run of 7 glycines, and a serine/glycine-rich C-terminal domain ending in 9 consecutive prolines. RGG box repeats mediate RNA binding, and both the serine/glycine-rich region and the proline-rich motif mediate protein-protein interactions. DDX17 shares 69.7% identity with p68 (DDX5), with highest similarity in the DEAD box region.