Y14 Background Information
The exon junction complex (EJC) is a multiprotein complex that assembles approximately 20–24 nucleotides upstream of exon-exon junctions in pre-mRNAs. It is involved in mRNA export, cytoplasmic localization, and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. Members of the EJC include Y14, Aly/REF, Magoh, RNPS1, SRm160, and DEK. Aly/REF, Magoh, and Y14, identified as RBM8 in mouse and rat, make up the core of the EJC, and these proteins remain stably bound to spliced mRNAs in the cytoplasm until they are translated. Therefore, Y14, Aly/REF, and Magoh have the ability to communicate to the cytoplasm the processing history of the mRNA, including the position of the removed introns. The gene encoding human Y14 encodes three transcripts. Y14 is a ubiquitously expressed protein. Although Y14 shuttles to the cytoplasm, it is predominantly detected in the nucleus and is colocalized with oskar mRNA at the posterior pole of the cell.
