WD Repeat Containing Domain Protein 16 (WDR16)

WD repeat-containing proteins, such as WDR16, play crucial roles in a wide range of physiologic functions, including signal transduction, RNA processing, remodeling the cytoskeleton, regulation of vesicular traffic, and cell division.

WDR16 contains 11 WD40 repeat domains and shares 84 to 89% amino acid identity with the mouse, rat, and monkey Wdr16 proteins. Northern blot analysis of 16 human tissues detected a 2.2-kb WDR16 transcript only in testis. Immunofluorescence localization detected WDR16 in the cytoplasm of transfected human cell lines.RT-PCR showed that WDR16 was overexpressed in 8 of 10 additional HCC tissues. Small interfering RNA directed to WDR16 significantly reduced WDR16 expression in HCC cells and resulted in growth suppression.