DEAD Box Polypeptide 18 (DDX18)

DDX18 is a member of the DEAD box gene family. DEAD box family members are putative ATP-dependent RNA helicases that play important roles in a variety of cellular processes involving alteration of RNA secondary structure such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly. The name of the family is derived from the amino acid sequence Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD), one of several highly conserved motifs shared by family members. DDX18 is induced following activation of a Myc-estrogen receptor fusion protein. DDX18 is also induced following proliferative stimulation of primary human fibroblasts and B cells.DDX18 is downregulated during terminal differentiation of HL60 leukemia cells and primary keratinocytes consistent with the disappearance of c-Myc RNA.