Human Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein K, HNRNP K ELI

One of the major pre-mRNA-binding proteins.

Binds tenaciously to poly(C) sequences.

Likely to play a role in the nuclear metabolism of hnRNAs, particularly for pre-mRNAs that contain cytidine-rich sequences.

Can also bind poly(C) single-stranded DNA.

Plays an important role in p53/TP53 response to DNA damage, acting at the level of both transcription activation and repression.

When sumoylated, acts as a transcriptional coactivator of p53/TP53, playing a role in p21/CDKN1A and 14-3-3 sigma/SFN induction (By similarity). As far as transcription repression is concerned, acts by interacting with long intergenic RNA p21 (lincRNA-p21), a non-coding RNA induced by p53/TP53.

This interaction is necessary for the induction of apoptosis, but not cell cycle arrest.