RD RNA Binding Protein (RDBP)

RDBP is part of a complex termed negative elongation factor (NELF) which represses RNA polymerase II transcript elongation. This protein bears similarity to nuclear RNA-binding proteins; however, it has not been demonstrated that this protein binds RNA.

The protein contains a tract of alternating basic and acidic residues, largely arginine (R) and aspartic acid (D). The gene localizes to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III region on chromosome 6.Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of NELFE or CBP80 in HeLa cells reduced the protein levels of other NELF and CBC subunits, respectively, suggesting that free NELF and CBC subunits are unstable in the absence of the functional holocomplexes.