Trihydrophobin 1 (TH1)

The TH1L gene encodes NELFC and NELFD, either of which is included as a subunit of negative elongation factor (NELF). NELF, which also includes NELFA (WHSC2), NELFB, and NELFE (RDBP), acts with DRB sensitivity-inducing factor (DSIF), a heterodimer of SPT4 (SUPT4H1) and SPT5 (SUPT5H), to cause transcriptional pausing of RNA polymerase II.

The deduced human 581-amino acid protein shares 98% sequence identity with the mouse protein. There is, however, no similar protein in C. elegans. Northern blot analysis demonstrated a single 2.4-kb transcript in all tissues tested, with highest levels in cardiac and skeletal muscle, kidney, adrenal, and thyroid. By SDS-PAGE, NELFC and NELFD had apparent molecular masses of 60 and 59 kD, respectively.